Seeing Isn't Believing
by DollyTheLlama
Summary: "Relax Probie, it's just a power outage…or is it? It could be 'Friday the 13th'—don't leave the cabin Ziva, the big scary monster might get you!" -Well, maybe not a monster, but something else is in store for Agent David. Eventual TIVA.
1. Chapter 1

5-17-10 I am so sorry for the repost, took out all the page breaks which made reading difficult.

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A/N: Hello everyone. So this is our first story together. We are having a great time writing it and we hope you enjoy reading it.

A/N 2: We do not own NCIS, CBS does. We are just borrowing the characters.

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Chapter 1

"_Tony_." Ziva David growled, her fingers pressing down harder on the keyboard as another paper football whizzed inches past her cheek, "Stop it."

"It's just _hazing_ Probie."

"Well I call it annoying." Her hand snapped up to grab another folded paper as it arched over her computer on a path toward her head "And do not call me Probie."

Tony DiNozzo pushed himself out of his chair and strolled casually around the bullpen to the Israeli's desk, a smirk teasing the corners of his mouth. "But you _are_ the Probie, Probie."

Ziva was on her feet in an instant, her finger pointed at Tony and her mouth open to reprimand him, but the words died on her tongue as the lights in the room suddenly snapped off. Before the echoing click had died, Ziva's hand had instinctively flown to her waist, her fingers brushing the hilt of the knife concealed there. "We should find the main…" She snapped her fingers, trying to come up with the right word.

"Circuit breaker?" Tony offered, voice tinged with amusement, "Relax Probie, it's just a power outage…or is it?" There was a curious hitch to his voice, and Ziva could imagine Tony's eyebrow arching suggestively. "It could be 'Friday the 13th'—don't leave the cabin Ziva, the big scary monster might get you!"

"What are you talking about?" She groused irritably, her patience wearing thin at his inability to take any situation seriously.

"Friday the 13th? Jason Voorhees?" Tony offered, obviously hopeful that the Israeli's knowledge of American pop culture had improved in the years they had been working together. "You know, hockey mask, cuts the power then starts—"

Before Tony could finish, Ziva felt the ground beneath her feet rumble. Without a second thought, she lunged at her partner, tackling him and sending them both crashing to the ground as a deafening explosion erupted, shaking the building and tearing the ceiling above them apart, shrapnel raining down upon them.

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"—iva…Ziva…Zee-_vah_…"

Ziva was dimly aware of the voice just beneath her, the tone laced with barely concealed anxiety. And it was getting louder. _Damnit_.

She gingerly raised her head, wincing at the throb of her headache, pounding just behind her eyes. Biting back a groan, Ziva groped after her muddled senses in an attempt to collect herself. "_What_ Tony?"

"Oh good, you're awake. As much as I _love_ a woman on top," Tony wheezed cheerfully, and if Ziva wasn't so sore she'd seriously consider finishing him off right there, "can you get off of me? I'm laying on something sharp."

It took more effort than she anticipated to push herself off of him, but Ziva managed to roll to the side, blinking her eyes open against the darkness surrounding her. Not bothering to stifle her groan this time, she sat up. "We need to find a way out. How much debris do you think is above us?"

The crunch of debris and relieved huff of breath told Ziva that Tony had pushed himself up beside her. "Ziva, what are you talking about? There's a way out right here." More shuffling and she could hear him climb to his feet. "We're practically outside."

"Tony, it is tar black in here."

There was a pause like he was going to correct her English, but instead his reply was slower, more serious. "Ziva, it's really light in here."

She tilted her head towards the sound of his voice, jaw tightening in sudden irritation. "I cannot see anything Tony," she informed him coolly. "Maybe you hit your head and are seeing…what is it? Stars."

"Ziva…" Tony's voice was closer, and Ziva felt a hand on her upper arm, gently tugging her to her feet. The hand moved up from her arm, warm fingers curling around her cheek to carefully cup her face and tilt it up towards him. "I'm right here," Tony said, all joking gone from his voice, "Can you not see me?"

"_No_ Tony, I cannot." She opened her mouth to say more, but was cut short when she heard Gibbs shouting their names.

"Over here boss!" Tony called, his hand dropping down from her cheek.

The sound of crunching rubble filled her ears and she quickly turned her head to the direction of the noise. "Gibbs?"

"Are you two injured?"

Ziva shook her head. "No, we are—"

"Boss," Tony cut in, something akin to panic seeping in his voice. "She can't see."

Ziva's head swung back to Tony, her eyes narrowing, "I told you Tony, it is dark in here."

"No Ziva, it's not." She could feel the ex-marine's eyes on her as she turned back to face him. "Ziva, look at me."

"I am," she quickly replied before her voice cracked with insecurity. "Am I not?"

"Can you see anything?"

She shook her head, her breath quickening as the reality of what they were insinuating began to dawn on her. "It is light yet I cannot see." Ziva closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I am blind?"

Tony exchanged a troubled glance with his boss as Ziva continued to stare into her own personal darkness.

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Thank you for reading. Please tell us what you think. We'll send a sneak peak of the next chapter to anyone who leaves a signed review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello all. Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. They really made us happy.

A/N2: Because I forgot on the last chapter...Disclaimer: Not ours.

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Leroy Jethro Gibbs leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his eyes trained on the doctor at the bedside, before he flicked his gaze over to Ziva. The Israeli was sitting on the hospital bed looking in the general direction of the doctor, her back perfectly straight. It took the trained sniper in Gibbs for him to notice the slight slump in her shoulders when the doctor told her that her blindness was most likely permanent. He watched closely as Ziva thanked the doctor and held out her hand to shake the physician's.

Gibbs brushed past the doctor as he made his way over to Ziva's bedside, sinking down heavily on the edge of the mattress. "Yes Gibbs?" She asked, turning her head to face him.

Although her brown eyes weren't focused on him, he was surprised at how much emotion they still held. "How'd you know it was me?"

"You walk differently," she explained. "Bad knees."

He sighed and wrapped his fingers around her thumb, holding it like he had after she had told him about how she ended up in Somalia. "You're gonna be fine Ziver."

She nodded her head. "Of course." She pulled her hand back to brace herself on the mattress, pushing herself to her feet. "May I go home now?"

"With Abby, yes."

Her jaw tightened. "I am fine on my own Gibbs."

"Ziva, you can't see."

"I am aware," she snapped. She groped for the wall, letting her hand trail along it as she made her way to the door. Her fingers brushed against the doorframe and she turned sharply to exit, but was stopped suddenly when she walked into something warm and firm.

"Ziva…" Tony looked down at his partner. "Are you…"

"I am fine DiNozzo," she informed him curtly. "Thank you for your concern." She moved to brush past him, stumbling over his foot in the process. Tony immediately reached out to stable her but the look on her face stopped him. She held her head higher, daring him to help her, to coddle her.

He opened his mouth, but anything he wanted to say was cut off as Abby Sciutto brushed past him and wrapped her arms around her injured friend. "Oh Ziva…" The forensic scientist sniffed, squeezing the woman tightly.

Ziva sighed at the obvious distress in her friend's voice. "Hello Abby," she said softly, bringing her hand up to rub the other woman's back.

Abby hugged her tighter before reluctantly loosening her arms. "This isn't fair," she pouted, sniffing again.

"No," Ziva said slowly, feeling some of her anger beginning to fade from the woman's innocent concern. She trailed her hands up awkwardly, managing to cup her palms around Abby's cheeks and gently forcing the scientist to face her. "No. It is not fair. But it has happened and now I must deal with it."

The gothic scientist looked into Ziva's expressive brown eyes and nodded her head. Ziva let go of her friend's face when she felt her agreement.

"Abby take her home," Gibbs said suddenly, breaking the silence between them. He walked past the two women, pausing only to squeeze Ziva's thumb reassuringly before gesturing for Tony to follow as he left the room.

Tony was right behind him, but he glanced back over his shoulder in time to see Abby gently move Ziva's hand to hold her arm. Ziva's shoulders sagged in defeat as she was guided through the doorway.

* * *

"Ziva, McGee wants to know what kind of pizza you want from Bartucci's!" Abby held her hand over the mouth piece of the phone, and poked her head around the doorframe into the living room, looking at the younger woman.

Ziva glanced up from her position on the couch. "Anything is fine Abby. Tell Tim thank you." Abby nodded and relayed the message, disappearing back into the kitchen. As she hung the phone back onto the receiver, a loud _thump_ sounded from the living room.

"Ziva!" Abby rushed back into the room, almost skidding around the corner. "Ziva, are you okay!"

Ziva grumbled from where she was standing between the couch and the coffee table, rubbing her shin. "You have rearranged your apartment since I was last here."

Abby was by Ziva's side in an instant, guiding the other woman back into a seated position on the couch. "I'm sorry," Abby said quickly, sitting down beside Ziva and taking her hand. "I'll put it back the way it was. Are you hurt?" She leaned down to raise the Israeli's pant leg, inspecting her bruised shin.

"Just my pride," Ziva offered a weak smile, her sightless eyes filled with an uncharacteristic sadness that broke Abby's heart. "And you do not have to rearrange your apartment for me. I do not want to be a burden for you." Ziva squeezed her friend's hand before gently pulling her own fingers back. She pressed her hands to her eyes, letting her head tilt back.

"Do…" Abby paused, nibbling her lower lip timidly. "Do they hurt?"

Ziva sighed and dropped her hands from her face, turning her head in the direction Abby's voice came from. "They do not." Ziva startled when she felt the other woman's arms encircle her again.

"Sorry, sorry," Abby said when she felt Ziva jump, but did not release her from the hug. The goth sniffed, her voice almost cracking as she whispered, "Why'd this happen, Ziva?"

"I do not know," Ziva patted Abby's back. "It is okay, Abby. Do not cry."

Abby pulled back and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm sorry, I should be helping you. Not crying all over you." She laughed weakly, sniffing louder. "You're so brave Ziva. You're the toughest person I know. Tougher than Gibbs even, and he's well…_Gibbs_. You know?"

Ziva fumbled around for Abby's hand. "Where are you? I…_ugh_," She growled in frustration before dropping her hand back into her lap. "Thank you for your kind words, Abby. I think that I would like to lie down before Tim gets here. Is that alright?"

"Of course," The older woman waited until her companion rose to her feet before placing a guiding hand on her arm, steering Ziva around the coffee table and down the hall to the guest room.

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Hundreds of thoughts ran through Ziva's mind as she lay on the bed. She contemplated the darkness that surrounded her and how the empty blackness seemed an appropriate representation of her life. The words Abby had cried when she hugged her at the hospital echoed in her head. _This isn't fair_. For the first time since she could remember, Ziva had been _happy_. She had friends who had become like a family after her father had sent her to die in that godforsaken desert.

Ziva opened her eyes wide, straining to see. It wasn't until a piercing scream reached her ears did she realize the noise had torn from her own throat.

"What's wrong!" The sounds of footfalls pounding on the carpet were dulled by a slamming of a door as it was whipped open to smack against a wall.

Ziva slapped a hand over her mouth, her teeth sinking into the soft skin of her thumb as she tried desperately to muffle the ragged cries. Shaking her head she felt her resolve crumble around her, and she let the hot sting of tears she'd been holding in stream down her cheeks.

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So there you go, another chapter down. I hope it lived up to your expectations. We will again send out sneak peeks of chapter 3 to anyone who leaves a signed review. Also if there's anything you'd like to see done in the story or if you have any ideas, please let us know. We would love to hear from you all!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry that this update is so late. Exam week was brutal. Also, sorry to the two of you that didn't get a sneak peak for this chapter, if you review for this chapter, I'll send you extra long previews. 3rd apology, this chapter is unedited so I hope it is okay.

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Chapter 3:

Knock knock

"It is probably McGee with the pizzas. You should go let him in." Ziva informed her friend.

Abby looked at the woman sitting on the bed; the tears had stopped flowing after a few minutes and Ziva's breathing had returned to normal. Although the Israeli now appeared calm Abby was concerned for Ziva's woman's state of mind. It seemed that just as quickly as she had broken down, she had picked up the pieces and pulled herself together. It wasn't healthy. "Are you sure you don't need a moment Ziva?" _Knock knock._

"Why would I Abby? I am alright." The blind woman lied.

"You were just…" _knock knock._ "Ugh fine!" Abby growled, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Stay here, I'll help you to the living room once I let in Mr. Impatient Pants." The scientist stormed from the room.

"Tim, you need to be more patient." Ziva heard Abby reprimand McGee as she pushed herself to her feet and found her way to the hall. Letting her fingers trail along the wall she slowly walked forward, her other hand waist high, held out in front of her.

"I thought you'd like warm pizza." Ziva used the sound of their voices to find her way to the living room.

"Well we were…dealing with something…"

McGee cleared his throat and nodded towards the hallway. "Abby…"

Abby spun around to find Ziva leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, a small self-satisfied smile on her face. "Ziva you were supposed to wait for me!" Abby fussed, going over to her and taking her hand, leading her to the couch.

Ziva felt for the seat and sat down; she turned her head towards Abby and raised an eyebrow. "There is nothing wrong with my legs Abby." She heard McGee snort from across the room.

"How are you feeling Ziva?" He asked, crossing the room and handing her a plate with a slice of pizza.

"I have been better." She felt for the piece, raising it to her mouth she took a bite. "Thank you for dinner Tim." She patted the couch beside her, feeling it dip on either side as Abby and McGee sat next to her.

"Well, it's not everyday someone deserves pizza from Bartucci's, but I think this counts." Ziva could hear the small smile in his voice and she offered him one of her own in return.

From her right she heard Abby sigh. "What is it?"

"I have to go to work." The scientist stood up. "Tim can you stay here with her? Ziva will you be okay? Please call if you need anything. You have my number memorized right?"

"Abby I will be fine by myself. I do not need a babysitter." Ziva began to protest before Abby cut her off.

"Please Ziva. Just do it for me. Cause I'm scared for you. And I need to know you're alright. And I know you're alright with Tim. So just…please."

Ziva nodded her agreement, touched. "Okay."

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"…And then he locked himself in the freezer with the corpses. Ducky was none to thrilled." McGee finished recounting what had happened to Palmer in the morgue a few days ago. He smiled at Ziva's carefree laughter.

"Thank you McGee. I needed that." She wiped tears from her eyes as her shoulders continued to shake with mirth.

"Any time Ziv. That's what I'm here for. The plucky comic relief." He patted her knee. "Oh! Did I tell you? I got another idea for a book."

"No you did not. Good for you McGee! Tell me!" She demanded.

"Well, they're going to be investigating the death of a Marine drill instructor and it will turn out that the victim used to bully Tony's character in…"

"So they are based on us!" Ziva let out a triumphant laugh and swatted at his arm, her fingertips brushing his jacket sleeve.

McGee chuckled and caught her hand. "I guess they are."

"McGee!" Ziva scolded playfully as she heard the front door open.

"Hey McWriter Boy, Gibbs wants you at NCIS." Tony said, taking in the scene in front of him, a surge of jealousy running through his veins.

McGee nodded, letting go of Ziva's hand. "You'll be alright?"

"Yes Tim, thank you." Ziva listened to him leave. She waited to hear the door shut, but instead she heard Tony clear his throat.

"So…" The senior field agent crossed his arms across his chest. Ziva tilted her head, waiting for him to continue. "At least you don't have to subject yourself to the atrocity of his books any more." Tony joked, a smirk pulling up the corner of his lips.

Ziva pursed her lips and looked away, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. She felt her chest tighten in humiliation.

Watching her eyes fill with an undeniable hurt Tony cursed under his breath, crossing the room to her. "Ziva I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He saw her bite her lip and downcast her eyes. "Do you need…"

Ziva put her hand up to stop him. "I do not need your pity Tony." She growled. "What I need is to be able to see. But that has been taken from me. Because of you." She turned her face back to him, the hurt in her eyes replaced by anger.

"Me? Woah, hey what did I do! Someone blew up the building, how's that my fault?" Tony went on the defensive.

"Had you not been acting like a child I would not have had to jump on top of you when the ceiling fell." She leapt to her feet. "You could have taken cover under your desk."

"Hey! I never asked you to save me! That was all you, so don't try to blame me for what happened. You're not being fair." He moved in front of her.

Ziva felt her breath catch in her chest and she lowered herself back to the couch, the truth of his statement throwing her off guard. "I was trying to protect you." She offered weakly, lowering her head into her hands as she felt another sob rock her body. She bit her tongue to keep the cry from exiting her throat.

"Shit." Tony sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "Ziva I'm sorry. I know you were trying to protect me and I'm so sorry this happened." He pulled her hand away from her face and laced his fingers through hers. "You're right. It is my fault."

Ziva sniffed and shook her head, eyes squeezed shut.

"It is." He moved onto the couch next to her. "Ziva I would do anything to give you your sight back. You have to know that." He raised his other hand and gently cupped her cheek.

She leaned into his hand. "I know Tony. And it is not your fault." She felt tears flow down her cheeks. "I-I am scared. It does not feel right."

Tony felt his heart break as he pulled her to his chest. "I know Ziv. I know." He stroked her hair as she cried against his chest.

Once Tony was sure Ziva was sleeping he lifted her into his arms, surprised that she didn't wake up. He carried her down the hall to Abby's guest room and laid her on the bed, covering her with the blanket. Tony was turning to leave when he felt a tug on his pant leg. "Tony?"

"Yeah Ziva?"

"Stay."

Tony nodded before realizing she couldn't see it. "Okay." He lay next to her on top of the blanket and held her hand as she fell into a restless sleep.

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So there you have it folks, chapter 3. Same drill as before, if you review I'll send you a sneak peak. I'm writing solo for the next month while we are on winter break and I really need the feedback. Also, if anyone is interested in beta-ing for me until school is back in session, please send me a pm! I would really appreciate it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey all, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. Also, thanks to Wren for beta-ing. So here you go. I'm not sure if the Hebrew in this chapter is correct, if it is, or is not, please let me know. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4

"_Lezazl!" _Ziva David shouted in frustration as she easily snapped her white cane in half over her knee. She threw the pieces across the warehouse and then pinched the bridge of her nose with her hand, muttering to herself softly in her native language.

"What'd she say Probie?" Tony leaned towards McGee as they watched the obviously irritated woman pace in circles.

"I don't know, but it probably wasn't nice. That's the third cane she's broken in a week."

"Look at that aim though. She hit that dummy right between the eyes." Tony nodded towards a ballistic gel dummy that was propped against the wall of the evidence garage, half of Ziva's cane now protruding from his head.

"Hey Zee-vah, you sure you're blind?" He walked in front of her and waved a hand in front of her face, yelping in pain as she twisted his wrist.

"Of course I am sure Tony." She snapped. "Are you an idiot or something?" She pushed his hand away from her.

"How'd you do that then?"

"I felt…"

"DiNozzo, leave her alone." Gibbs whacked the back of his head as he passed the two agents. "And David, stop breaking government property."

"I do not want that…" she waved her hands as though doing so would allow her to grab the appropriate word, "thing. It is more trouble than it is worth."

Gibbs shrugged, "Suit yourself." He tossed Tony and McGee a file. "Just because the bullpen is under construction, does not mean we don't have cases."

"Any leads on the bomber Boss?" Tony felt Ziva tense up beside him.

"Don't you think you'd know if there were DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped. "Due to a _conflict of interest_, Vance took us off the case. So we will focus on the dead Marine at the Country Club. You got it?"

Tony swallowed. "Got it boss."

"Good. DiNozzo, McGee, go process the crime scene. Ducky will meet you there."

Ziva waited to hear the two men leave before she stepped forward. "What can I do Gibbs?" She winced at the obvious insecurity that was seeping into her voice.

"You can go to Abby's lab and wait until we come back with a suspect. And then you will interrogate them." He watched as a small smile lit up Ziva's unfocused eyes. "Don't think for a second I'm gonna let you off easy just cause you can't see David. You're still my Agent…torture is still off limits though." He clapped her on the shoulder before turning around to leave the room.

Ziva started to follow him when the toe of her boot caught on one of the boxes in the evidence garage. Before she knew it, she found herself on her hands and knees on the ground. She let out another curse and pushed herself back to her feet as she heard Gibbs rush over to her.

"Are you okay?" He tenderly placed her hand in his own and turned it over to inspect her scraped palm.

"Yes. Just embarrassed." She gently took her hand back and brushed her palms on her jeans. "I have fallen more in the past week than I have in my entire life."

"Ziva, if you won't use the cane, will you consider something else?" He watched as she opened her mouth to protest but quickly continued before she could get a word in. "You're blind Ziva. Let's face it, that's probably not going to change." Gibbs felt for the young woman as sadness clouded her eyes and she nodded her head. He took her hand again, "Ziver, you know that even blind you could take anyone in a fight. You're quick, you listen, and your reflexes are amazing."

"I rely on my vision to do many things Gibbs."

"You caught DiNozzo's hand before he touched you." He reminded her.

The Israeli crossed her arms over her chest. "I felt it," She stated stubbornly

"Exactly. You sensed it Ziva. Your remaining senses are phenomenal, all you need is for something to be your eyes."

"What would you suggest? That I carry DiNozzo around in my pocket?" She scoffed at the idea.

"No. I suggest something like a guide dog." He watched her pause to think. "They're fierce like you. Guarded, smart. Good companions too I hear."

Ziva nodded. "A companion would be nice. I am tired of being alone." She let her arms drop to her sides and she shifted her weight nervously, waiting for Gibbs to comment on her statement.

He chuckled, "Part of being an Agent is that you're never alone. You always have someone watching your six. Come on, let's get you to Abby." He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her out of the room into the elevator.

* * *

"Gross!" Tony wiped his face on his sleeve. "Ziva, tell your dog that licking people is NOT ok."

Ziva chuckled and scratched behind the yellow lab's ears. "Good girl Miera. Tony you should not tease her."

"She's beautiful Ziva." Abby stroked the dog's back. "Hi puppy. Are you gonna keep your mama from walking into things?"

Miera barked and Ziva laughed. "That is the plan."

"How did you come up with her name my dear?" Ducky asked. He walked over to the dog that was laying under the autopsy table.

Ziva looked towards the sound of his voice. "It is Hebrew. Miera is a name meaning light."

"How fitting. I am glad you have come across such a wonderful companion but I fear I must ask you to leave now. As you can probably smell, Mr. Palmer is here with a _guest_."

The Israeli scrunched her nose and nodded. She stood and in a second Miera was on her feet, by her mistress' side. Ziva grabbed the dog's harness and allowed the dog to guide her to the doorway where she paused as she heard Palmer roll the gurney past. "Hey Ziva, cute dog." The medical examiner's assistant leaned over to pet Miera's head.

Ziva bit back a laugh when she heard her guide dog bark and growl. Palmer yelped as Miera nipped his hand. "Miera no." She reprimanded half heartedly. "Sorry Jimmy. She did not draw blood yes?"

Palmer wiped his hand on his scrubs. "No, I'm fine Ziva. Have a good night."

Ziva waved and clicked her tongue, letting Miera lead her out of the room.

* * *

"Do you think it's alright for you to be by yourself Ziv?" Abby stood in Ziva's bedroom, watching as the blind woman unpacked her suitcase and placed clothes in her dresser drawers. "I mean, it's only been two weeks since, you know..."

Ziva smiled and walked over to Abby. "I am fine. It's my apartment, I know where everything is."

The goth nodded before realizing that Ziva couldn't see her. "Call me if you need anything. I'll pick you up for work tomorrow."

Ziva smiled and paused her unpacking. "Thank you. I would appreciate that." She felt Abby's arms encircle her.

"I'll show myself out." Abby gave Ziva one more squeeze before releasing her. She scratched Miera's ears on her way out. "Bye Ziv." She shut the apartment door.

Ziva sighed and turned to where she knew her guide dog was curled up on the bed. "I guess it is just you and me." She reached out and scratched the dog's head after she felt her cold wet nose on her hand. Ziva felt for the bed and sat down. She leaned over and rested her head on the lab's stomach. She shut her eyes for a minute, listening to the dog's rhythmic breathing before she heard a knock at the door. Ziva felt the dog underneath her tense up and she pushed herself back into a seated position. "It is okay _ahava sheli_." She pet the dog's soft ears. "It is probably Abby checking up on me. She is very protective like that." Ziva pushed herself to her feet and walked to the front door, opening it, a teasing smile on her face. "Did you forget something Abby?"

"I don't think Abby would appreciate the comparison." The familiar male voice said, humor coming from every word.

Ziva smiled, feeling an uncharacteristic blush shading her cheeks. "Oh, hi."

"I brought dinner and a CD." Tony said as Ziva opened the door wider for him to enter.

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Alright guys, you know the drill :-D. Please review and tell me what you think and I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 5.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you guys so much for your reviews on the last chapter. You're great! I'm really happy that you all are still enjoying the story. Also once again, a huge thank you to Wren for betaing, she did a fantastic job. Here's chapter, enjoy!

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Chapter 5

Anthony DiNozzo let his eyes wander around his partner's living room. He took in the sight of the half empty Chinese containers on the coffee table and the home owner who was curled up against the arm of the couch, her head propped up on her hand. He inspected her closer, noticing the faint red rimming around her eyes and the dark circles shading underneath. He realized that Ziva was probably the only person he knew who could look so calm yet so tortured at the same time. "Ziva?"

"Hmm?" She turned her head towards the sound of his voice.

"Are you okay?"

Ziva paused, caught off guard by his inquiry. "I am…alright."

"Really?" Tony let his doubt seep into his voice. He watched her, taking in every detail.

"No." She shrugged defeated. "But what can I do? I have no other choice but to deal with it." She felt the couch dip as Tony moved closer to her. She was surprised to feel him pulling her to him. "What…" He wrapped his arms around her. "Tony what are you doing?" She nervously demanded.

"Talk to me." Ziva heard a softness in his voice that she was unaccustomed to.

She bit her lip and shook her head. The despair that had been ruling her life for the past two weeks welled up inside her. "I…I cannot handle the darkness Tony." Ziva squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to keep the tears she was holding back from leaking out.

Tony reached up and smoothed out her eyelids with his thumbs. He noticed that the simple motion seemed to calm her down. "I know Ziva. But that is what your friends are for."

Ziva sniffed and wiped her eyes. She carefully moved her hand to cup Tony's cheek. She opened her eyes, focusing them to where she knew he was.

Looking into her chocolate brown pools Tony was saddened when he realized that they would never lock eyes or share secret glances again. "Ziva…" He breathed, emotion building up heavily in his chest.

Ziva heard his hesitation and dropped her hand, down-casting her eyes. "I am sor…" She was cut off when she felt Tony press his lips firmly to her own. Though surprised, Ziva instinctively moved into the kiss, only pulling back when air became a necessity. She licked her swollen lips, head spinning. "Tony…"

He once again cut her off. "I could have lost you." He swallowed hard. "I can't lose you. I… I love you."

Ziva felt her heart begin to race, the world spin, as the reality of what he was saying sunk in. "You do?"

"Yeah Ziva. I do."

* * *

"_Tell me everything you know about NCIS._" _Ziva winced as a rough hand slapped her already battered, broken face. She stayed silent as she glared up at him, daring him to do his worst. "Still not talking?" Salem took out his knife and pointed it at her chest. "Maybe some spilled blood will loosen your tight tongue. He ripped open her shirt and slowly drew the dagger above her right breast…_

Tony watched Ziva's eyes snap open, a panicked look plastered across her face. She raised her hand to her chest and Tony noticed the puckered skin for the first time. He saw her start to shake, so he quickly grabbed her hand. "Ziva, Z it's okay. It's okay." He squeezed her hand.

She started to relax and lifted her other hand to cover her face. "It is not fair."

"I know Ziva, I know it's not."

Ziva sighed. "The only time I can see is in my dreams…. But, my dreams are nightmares…"

"What happened?" Tony's eyes shifted to the angry red scar on her chest.

"Salem was trying to make me…talk. He tried everything." Ziva slowly rolled onto her side and hesitantly lifted her shirt to show her back.

The dozens of scars littering her olive skin made Tony sick. He reached out a finger to inspect a particularly nasty one that extended from her right shoulder to the middle of her back.

"Belt." Ziva answered seeming to already know his unasked question. "That is the one where I stopped… Counting…" She felt Tony quickly pull her shirt down to cover her back, his breath quickening. She rolled onto her other side to face him. She raised her hand, to try and find his cheek.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Tony rolled off the bed and half ran out of the room.

"Tony wait!" Ziva desperately called after him. She heard the front door of her apartment slam. _Everything was always too good to be true_. She fumbled around on her nightstand for the closest item and reared back, throwing the picture frame into wall. As the glass shattered she heard her faithful companion bound into the room.

Ziva flopped back onto the bed, her shoulders shaking with fury and humiliation. She heard Miera bark softly, questioning what was wrong. Biting her lip, Ziva pat the bed beside her, signaling for Miera to join her. She rolled over, buried her face in the dog's neck, angry tears wetting Miera's fur. Ziva then shut her eyes, preparing herself to relive, envision, _see_ more of her past.

* * *

"Okay Ziva, just move the mouse over the page and the computer will tell you what's there." McGee instructed, moving the curser around the page and letting Ziva listen to the attached headset. "Oh and you can also type in a command by hitting Control Z, but Control F also works for finding specific parts of the document. Then the computer will just read it to you and you're good to go."

Ziva smiled. "Thank you McGee. I cannot believe you wrote this program for me. It was very…um…sweet."

McGee pat her on the back. "Anything to help out a friend Ziv. I'll let you play around with that for a bit. Any problem, I'll be at my desk. Just shout." He crossed over to his temporary desk and slid into the chair, opening up a file on his computer. Temporary walls had been constructed around the damaged part of the bullpen and the investigative team had been provided with desks on the other side of the office.

Ziva rolled the mouse around the page, listening as her email was read aloud. She turned down the volume when she heard familiar footsteps softly passing her desk. "Good morning Tony." Ziva kept her voice passive, not let anything she was feeling about the previous night color her tone.

Tony jumped, surprised. He had been trying to sneak past her. "Oh…Hey Ziva." He shifted his weight nervously, knowing that what he had done the previous night was unforgivable.

Ziva pulled off the headset and let it rest around her neck, she waited for him to continue as Miera stiffened by her leg. Ziva stroked the dog's head to calm her down.

"I…um…" Tony started but was cut off as Gibbs walked into the circle.

"Ziva, Marcos Hernandez, from the country club case is down in interrogation. I'll be in observation." Ziva nodded her head and stood. She let Miera guide her to the elevator. As she searched for the proper button she felt someone else's hand hit her own. "Did you really think I was sending you down there by yourself for your first time?"

Ziva smiled. "Thank you Gibbs." She felt the elevator begin it's descent to the first floor. When the bell dinged and the doors opened Ziva started to follow her dog out but was stopped by Gibbs' hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to go in with you?"

Ziva fixed him with her trademark glare. "Are you offering because I have gone blind or because you think I would need help as an agent?"

Gibbs chuckled. "I'll be in observation." Ziva listened for the door to close before she started for the second door. She paused for a moment, her hand on the knob, before taking a breath and letting herself into the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, sorry that I'm reposting this chapter. I wanted to change a little bit of the wording because it was bugging me lol.

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Hey guys, thank you so much for your reviews! Ya'll are great. Once again, thanks to Wren for the beta-job. She did an awesome job. So here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

The cold water was not the shock Ziva had expected as she splashed the liquid on her face in the restroom. She raised her head and looked towards the mirror, wishing that she could see her own reflection. She sighed when, once again, she saw nothing but darkness. She continued to hopelessly face the mirror as she heard the bathroom door open and shut. "Ziva?"

She jumped, not expecting that particular voice. "What are you doing in here Tony?"

"It's the men's bathroom." He watched her slowly turn around.

She groaned. "_Lezazl_." She dried her hands on her pants and started for the door before she felt Tony's hand on her own. She quickly pulled back. "What Tony?"

"Ziva I'm so sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

He looked her over noticing the confused expression on her face, "For leaving you. When you were opening up to me. I…"

"Forgive me, I will not place that burden on you again." Ziva cut him off. A sincerity was present in her voice, one that Tony was startled to hear. "I obviously made you…uncomfortable…and I hope you can forgive me." Ziva turned for the door once again.

Tony caught her gently by her upper arm. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Ziva, do you really think what happened was your fault?" His brow furrowed, concerned.

"Of course it is. Weakness is one's own fault." She set her jaw, daring him to defy her.

"You think you're weak?" Tony was shocked by her answer.

The corner of Ziva's mouth turned up in a sad smile as she pulled her arm out of his hand and walked to the door. She felt around for the handle. Pausing, she turned around, her hand on the knob. "I learned at a young age to accept reality Tony. I am blind and I am damaged goods. Who could ever love me?"

Before Tony could formulate a response, Ziva had left the bathroom, walking slowly but surely behind her seeing-eye dog.

It took less then a second for Tony to figure out what to do. He ran to the door and threw it open. "Ziva wait!" Not expecting her to stop, he plowed into her, sending them both tumbling hard to the ground.

Miera nervously barked and nudged Tony, trying to push him off of her mistress.

"Miera, it is okay." Ziva struggled to roll onto her back underneath Tony's body. She felt his warm breath on her face.

"Uhh.... I didn't expect you to stop."

"I did not expect _you_ to follow me." She noticed that Tony had lifted some of his weight off of her, leaving just enough distance between them so that she could still feel his breath on her face. She lay still, unsure of what else to do.

"What I said last night, I meant it." He pushed himself to the side so that he was laying beside her. "I love you. I…"

"But…" She tried to cut him off before he placed a finger over her lips, silencing her.

"Shhhhh. I love you. Ziva, when I look at you I don't see weakness or damaged goods. I see you. I see everything that I want to give you, everything we could have together."

"Then why did you leave?" She breathed, his words making her head spin.

"Because I'm the weak one Ziva. Don't you see that? When I saw what that…monster," he hissed, "did to you, I couldn't face it. I was stupid and I ran. And if it takes the rest of my life for you to open up to me again, then I will never stop trying Ziva David. Never." He rolled onto his back, breathing heavily. He was startled when he saw Ziva holding herself up above his chest, their earlier positions reversed.

"Do you mean that?"

"Every word." Tony replied sincerely. He reached up and tenderly cupped her cheek.

She smiled and rolled off of him, feeling for and sitting up against the wall. "I had already forgiven you Tony." She heard him stand and then seconds later felt him gently lifting her to her feet.

"Why?" He tucked her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

She leaned into his hand. "Because I love you too."

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Well there you go folks, I hope that lived up to you expectations. As usual, please leave a signed review telling me what you think, and I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 7!

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I wanted to add that microscopic bit of TIVA at the end through their actions because actions truly do speak louder than words. Please review if you haven't already :-D


	7. Chapter 7

So this chapter is up a little earlier than I expected to put it up, but I found out I have to work tomorrow so I figured ya'll would like this sooner rather than later. Thank you guys so much for your reviews, you are awesome! And once again, thanks to Wren for the fantastc beta job! Oh, and on my profile page there is a poll, please vote and tell me whether you want Ziva to get her sight back or not.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

It wasn't the first night Ziva David had lay awake, staring into her personal permanent darkness, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Moments from the month she had spent with the man who lay sleeping beside her swam through her head; no longer videos but a soundtrack of her life. A happy soundtrack. A happy life.

A shrill ring from her nightstand snapped her out of her trance. She searched for her phone, picking it up and opening it before the first ring had ended. She walked her memorized path out of her room, waiting until she was in the hall to speak. "David."

"Ziva this is your father. You must listen to me very closely, there is…" a familiar voice sounded over the line.

"What are you doing calling me?" She hissed, quickly putting a halt to his words. He was the last person she wanted to hear from. Ever.

"There is a leak inside Mossad."

"I am no longer an Officer of Mossad Father, or did you forget?" She flashed back to the summer spent in Somalia , those memories were videos. Horror movies forever etched into her mind. She shook her head to dispel the images.

"You are my daughter, and the best officer I have ever had. I am asking for your help Ziva, as your father." Ziva was surprised to hear the sincerity, _and was that desperation _in his voice.

She sighed. "I cannot help you."

"What happened to family Ziva?"

"That is a question you should ask yourself Father." She paused. "Though, it is through no ill will that I deny help."

"What is it then?" The director of Mossad demanded.

"I have lost my sight. Six weeks now. I would be of no use to you." She listened to the silence on the other end of the line. "Papa?"

"Who has done this to you?"

"I do not know. But NCIS will find out."

"Ziva…?" Ziva heard her name being called softly from the bedroom.

"I am sorry Father, I have to go." She hung up before he could say anything else. She felt her way back to the bed. Pulling back the comforter, she climbed in beside her partner. "I am sorry Tony. I did not want to wake you."

"It's alright." He kissed her cheek first and then her lips lightly. "Who was it?"

"An old friend." She smiled at him. "Do not worry yourself about it."

Tony smiled back even though she couldn't see it and pulled her to his chest as he lay back down. "Go to sleep Probie." He groaned when she elbowed him in the gut.

"Do not call me Probie."

---

Ziva unlocked the door of her apartment, sensing something was amiss. Her feeling was confirmed when Miera barked and strained against her harness as soon as Ziva opened the door. "Who is there!" She demanded, quickly retrieving the knife concealed at her waist. She heard the couch creak as someone rose from it.

"Ziva…"

"Father?"

Director David swallowed and walked cautiously towards her. "So you were telling the truth." His eyes ran from the service dog to the dark sunglasses on his daughter's face.

Ziva put her knife back in its sheath. "Just because I was betrayed by you father does not mean that I would return the favor. However, if there is a leak inside Mossad, you should go to NCIS. Director Vance would surely be very helpful. A threat to your organization is a threat to ours as well." She leaned over and pat Miera's side, signaling for her to calm down. Once the dog was settled, Ziva let her off the harness. Standing up, she pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head and walked over to her couch. Taking a seat, she gestured for her guest to sit beside her.

"I have already spoken with Vance. He mentioned that you had spoken to him as well."

Ziva nodded. "It is my duty to report any threat to my country. Why did you come here?"

"To see my daughter."

Ziva shook her head. "No. That is not it."

The old man sighed heavily. "Even blind you can see through a bluff."

"It is a skill." Ziva snapped. "Now please inform me as to why you are here."

"The leak has made a threat on my life…and on yours. Whoever it is…he or she sees you as a traitor to your country." He waited for her response.

Ziva scoffed. "I am a traitor because I quit an agency that sent me to die? If your leak does not realize that Israel and the United States are on the same side, then it is he who is the traitor." She shook her head. "Not me."

The director of Mossad leaned over, placing a hand gently on her knee. "Ziva I know you are not a traitor." He looked his daughter over, she looked healthy despite her unfocused glazed eyes. "I came to warn you."

Ziva pulled away from his touch. "I can take care of myself father. But thank you for your concern."

"How?" He asked curiously. "You are blind."

Ziva nodded her acknowledgement of the fact. "But I am no longer alone. I have people who care about me. People who love me."

Eli David sighed. "If you are happy Ziva…"

"I am." She heard the front door open and listened to the familiar steps of her boyfriend. Ziva felt the couch move as her father stood.

"Agent DiNozzo." The Israeli said, his voice laced with surprise and a hint of disdain.

"Director David." Tony mirrored his unpleasant greeting.

Ziva noticed a more peculiar tone in his voice. She rose and went to him. "Tony it is okay." She placed a hand on his chest.

"What is he doing here?" Tony hissed, all he saw was the man who had sentenced the woman he loved to her death.

"We have reconciled." She whispered. "He is here to warn us."

"I know." Tony pulled her into his arms, trying to keep her safe. Ziva didn't resist. "That's why I came home. Vance told me about the threat."

"So you are aware." Director David interrupted the private conversation. "You can see how this is worrying."

"How long have you known about the leak?" Tony spoke over Ziva's head.

Eli peered curiously at the scene in front of him. His passionate daughter who had always carried herself with a certain anger looked calm. Happy even. "I have suspected it for several months."

"Could he have been responsible for the bombing of NCIS two months ago?"

"It is possible." Both men heard Ziva suck in a breath. She pulled away from Tony and walked into her bedroom, slamming the door. Director David stared curiously after his daughter.

Tony's eyes followed the same path. "Then it is possible that your leak took her sight."

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So the actual plot begins...Please review and I will send you a sneak peak as usual :-D. Also, please go vote on the poll on my profile page. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed and to those of you who did th poll. The winning answer was yes, as I figured it would be. There was a surprising number of nos though. I will not say whether the results of this poll will influence the story :-P, but it is good as an author to know what you all want. Round of applause to Wren for another fantastic beta job! Enjoy the chapter.

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Chapter 8

"We are treating the threat on Agent David's life as a threat on the agency until there is solid proof that the person who bombed this building is not connected to Mossad's mole." Director Vance addressed the assembled agents before him. "Agent David will have two agents assigned to her at all times…"

"That is not necessary Director." Ziva cut him off, a fierce look plastered across her face.

"Agent David, a security escort is standard operating procedure."

Ziva opened her mouth to disagree with him. Before she could get a word out, Tony cut her off. "She will be with me Director."

Vance nodded. "Fine. Gibbs, Director David is sending his evidence. He assures us that we have Mossad's full cooperation."

Gibbs nodded. "Good to know. McGee, go through the officers' records. Ziva, go with him. Tell him everything you know about the operatives and if you notice any anomalies in their files. DiNozzo…"

"Yeah boss."

"With me."

"But…I just said I would stay with Ziva."

"It's okay Tony. I got her." McGee reassured the other man.

"I do not need a baby-watcher!" Ziva snapped, visibly annoyed.

"Sitter. It's baby-sitter Ziva." Tony corrected her.

"Whatever!" She grabbed Miera's harness. "McGee I will meet you downstairs." She stormed out of the room.

Gibbs slapped the back of his agents' heads. "McGee, follow her."

"On it boss." The younger agent hurried from the room.

"DiNozzo."

"Yes boss."

"Just because I let you break rule number 12 does not mean I'm gonna let you act like a love sick puppy. Whether you think so or not, even blind, Ziva can do a pretty good job protecting herself. Give her some credit. Cause if you hurt her, then I'll hurt you. Now gear up."

Tony nodded and ran from the room.

"Your team is a mess Jethro." Vance said from behind his desk.

"They get the job done Leon. Don't cut my guys short."

"Didn't plan on it. Keep me updated."

"Uh-huh." Gibbs walked to join his team.

---

"Ziva, we didn't mean it. Ziva wait up!" McGee ran after the Israeli and her dog.

She stopped short, turning around to face him. "Do not treat me like a child McGee. Do you think that I cannot take care of myself? You and Tony…ugh!" She growled in frustration. She quickly turned on her heel and continued to the bullpen.

McGee sighed and ran after her again. "Ziva, I'm sorry. We just worry."

She sat down and turned towards the sound of his voice. She sighed, "Can we please just look at the files?" She rolled the mouse around the computer screen, opening files as she heard relevant names.

"Ziva?"

"What McGee!" She snapped, facing him again, frustration and annoyance etched on her face.

"Remember that case with the blind photographer and I told you that I couldn't imagine what I would do if I went blind?"

"I remember."

"Do you remember what you told me? That I would adapt or fall into a deep depression. You adapted Ziva, but Tony's well…Tony. He cares about you. As do I. And when we see a friend who is hurt we kinda just…you know…"

"Act like big brothers?" Ziva finished his sentence for him, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

McGee smiled, a light blush spreading across his face. "Yeh." He squeezed her upper arm affectionately before reaching for the mouse. "Mind if I take over?"

Ziva lifted her hand off of the mouse and rolled her chair back, giving him access to the computer.

"Alright Ziva, tell me if you notice anything strange." He began to read over the highlights of the operatives' profiles as Ziva listened along.

---

Four hours and several cups of coffee later, McGee and Ziva were nearing the end of the Mossad officers' profiles. Ziva had pointed out several questionable statements but nothing that could offer concrete proof towards a motive. McGee sighed and opened another file. "Joined Mossad in 1996 after graduating from a local college in Tel Aviv. Married in 1999…oh, that's sad."

"What is?" Ziva questioned.

"He lost his wife and daughter in a Hamas suicide bombing in 2001."

"I know. I went to the funeral. Ari told us that he had attempted to stop the attack but that his intel was bad." Ziva rolled her chair closer to McGee.

"And that was before you knew Ari was....a..."

"Taitor? Yes, long before." Ziva took the mouse from McGee, scrolling over the page and listening to her earbud. "We thought of it as a tragic accident, nothing more."

"Was it? When Mossad reopened Ari's case files did anything change?"

Ziva nodded and turned back to face McGee. "We found that the attack was specifically targeting his family."

"Was he informed of this?" McGee asked, taking the mouse back from Ziva and pulling up the operation file in question.

"Yes…" Ziva's eyes widened. "He did not know Ari was Eli's son. McGee, look and see if anyone unauthorized opened my father's portfolio." She listened to the clacking of the keys.

"One hit, several months ago. But there's no way to tell who." McGee jotted down the time of the breach.

"You do not need to find out who McGee." Ziva said, her face uncharacteristically pale. "He said that whenever he found the bastard responsible for that suicide bomber, that he would kill their family."

"But Ari is dead Ziva."

"I do not think that would matter. He surely feels betrayed by my father and I for not telling him the truth."

McGee nodded, understanding the meaning of Ziva's words. "Okay, so he is probably Mossad's leak, but how can we connect him to the bombing, there's no way he could know that you would be the one most affected by it." McGee watched Ziva shut her eyes to ponder his question.

"Well that's simple McKnow-it-all." The familiar voice from behind the two agents caused McGee to jump.

"How long have you been standing there Tony?" Ziva questioned, unphased by his sudden appearance.

"Long enough to read the name on that officer profile Zee-vah." Tony answered back.

"Okay so you know who." McGee responded, looking up at the senior field officer, "But how does that make it 'simple' for you to say he's the one who set off the bomb in NCIS?"

"Well Probie…" Tony said, walking around the half wall to stand in front of Ziva's desk. "I know for a fact that Kidon unit team leader Ben Gidon hates NCIS."

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So...is that considered a cliffie? Hmmm. Anyways, I hope ya'll liked it. Sneak peaks will be sent at as usual for signed reviews. Also, I'm curious as to who voted for what in the poll. Please review and let me know, and tell me why you feel that way. :-D


	9. Chapter 9

Hey all, so doesn't seem to be sending out emails so I don't know if you all got your sneak peaks. If you did happen to see them in your inbox, I promised a chapter today and even though alerts aren't going out, I'm going to put it up. I may repost it tomorrow, depends on if I add something to it, but I wanted to get it up for all of you who were looking forward to it. I really appreciate the reviews you have been leaving me. It really helps me write when I know that people like what I'm doing. You guys are great! I hope you had a good Christmas or whatever other holiday you celebrated this month!

Thanks again to Wren for being a fantastic beta. She deserves a round of applause.

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Chapter 9

Ziva stood in MTAC along with the rest of her team. They faced the giant screen where her father's emotionless face was visible to everyone, but her. "Father," she stepped forward. "We believe we know who your leak is…"

"Kidon unit leader Ben Gidon." Gibbs finished Ziva's thought. "Know anything about this?"

"Gidon is one of my best officers, that is impossible." Eli David shook his head. "Ziva, how could you think…"

"I saw Officer Gidon kill a Marine in cold blood. That is how I could think that he is the traitor Father." Ziva said firmly.

"Director David, sir um…" McGee stepped forward nervously juggling a stack of folders. "I went through Officer Gidon's travel records. He was in DC around the time of the bombing."

The Mossad commander shook his head again, refusing to believe the truth he was being told. "It is not enough. Not enough to convince me that he could betray his country."

"Father!" Ziva snapped, commanding the man's attention. "Ben came here to frame me for a murder he committed! He hates NCIS! Do you not remember the threat he made after you told him about Ari's involvement in his family's deaths?" Ziva lowered her head and massaged her temples, feeling her blood begin to boil. Her head snapped up, a hot fire blazing in her sightless eyes, "I am blind because of him. I am in an eternal darkness because of his grudge. Because of his hatred! If you…"

The four men in MTAC saw something that the woman did not, could not. They saw the Director of Mossad downcast his eyes and submissively nod his head. "I will take care of Officer Gidon Ziva. Take care of yourself my daughter." He signed off.

"Alright Gibbs, keep me updated on anything else you find." Vance clapped the team leader on the shoulder before leaving the tense atmosphere of the communication room.

"Well that was... umm…" McGee started.

"That was bizarre Probilicious."

"Shut it DiNozzo." Gibbs slapped the back of his second in command's head.

"Sorry boss." He looked towards Ziva, surprised to see her pinching the bridge of her nose. The light from the multicolored scene reflected of the wetness that streaked across Ziva's cheeks.

"Ziva?" He asked quietly.

The Israeli shook her head, hugging herself with one arm and raising the other to stop him from inquiring anything else. "Excuse me." She extended her raised hand and found the wall, quickly exiting the room.

---

"Ziva?" Tony called, looking around the hallway outside of MTAC. He groaned, "Ziva where are you?" He ran down the hall several yards before he ended up falling face first, flat on the floor. "Oof."

"Tony?"

He rolled onto his side. "Oh... uh... hey Ziva." He looked at the vulnerable young woman who was sitting against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Are you okay?" She reached out towards him. "I heard you fall."

"Yeah I'm owww…" He groaned as he tried to push himself up.

"Tony what is it!" Ziva demanded, concern heavy in her voice. In an instant she was on her knees right beside her partner.

"My wrist. Ow ow ow ow ow." He whined as he pushed himself into a seated position beside her."

"Let me see." She put her hand out for his. She paused, "I mean…um…"

Tony patted her knee with his good hand. "I know Z." He slipped his injured hand into hers. "Think it's broken?" He watched as she felt his wrist, her face molded into a look of concentration.

"I think you are a big baby." She raised her head to face him, a small smile on her lips. "It does not feel broken but we should go see Ducky just to be safe." She pushed herself to her feet and then bent over grabbing Tony's good arm to help him to his feet.

Tony smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Are you okay?" They started down the hall towards autopsy, Ziva still gripping his arm.

"I am…alright." Ziva stated.

"Okay Ziva, but I'm starting to feel some déjà vu here. Haven't we had this conversation before? And I seem to distinctly remember that last time you were not _alright_." He looked over at her.

A wistful smile spread on Ziva's face. "I am just a little upset Tony. But I will be okay." She felt the cold air on her face as they stepped into autopsy. "Ducky, can you take an x-ray of Tony's wrist? He fell."

The medical examiner quickly rose from his desk. "Of course. Anthony you should really be more careful my boy."

"Yeah, I know Ducky." Tony sat on the autopsy table, smiling when he saw the amused look on his girlfriend's face.

Ducky rolled over the portable x-ray machine and positioned Tony's arm. He snapped a few pictures, every so often repositioning the man's wrist.

Tony winced. "Ow Ducky, not so rough."

"Oh Tony pull it up." Ziva teased.

"It's suck Ziva. Suck it up. And not everyone is a trained Mossad ninja assassin like you."

Ziva chuckled and felt her way over to him, sitting beside him on the table as Ducky rolled the machine back to its storage place. "Ex-Mossad ninja assassin."

"Yeh, that's what I meant. How could I forget." Tony looked over to the medical examiner when he heard the light board snap on. "So what's the diagnosis doc?"

"No fracture Tony. You probably just have a very nasty sprain." Ducky rummaged around in his desk before pulling out an Ace bandage. "For that I have the remedy." He crossed the morgue over to the table where his patient sat. "Ziva, I am going to wrap his wrist." The doctor knew that the young agent appreciated knowing what was going on.

She nodded. "May I Duck?" She put her hand out for the wrap.

"Of course my dear. I will leave you to it. I must go discuss one of our guests with Jethro." Ducky placed the bandage in Ziva's hand and left the room.

Ziva felt around for Tony's hand and began to gently wrap the wounded appendage. To anyone who did not know the agents, they would think that the young woman was focusing intently on her partner's hand.

Tony knew this wasn't so. With his uninjured hand he reached out and gently tilted her head up with a finger under her chin, he smiled when he felt her hands continue nursing his wound, not stilled by the interruption. "Ziva."

"Tony." She responded, mirroring the matter-of-fact inflection in his voice.

"I don't like it when you're upset."

"Nothing can be truly upsetting when I am with you Tony." Ziva responded sincerely.

Tony felt his heart begin to race. "I love you Ziva David. Have I told you that today?"

Ziva pinned the bandage on his arm and held up two fingers. "Twice. You should put ice on that." She lowered his hand to his lap.

"Oh, well good then. Now that we've got that settled…" He started to get off the table but stopped when he felt Ziva's hand on his collar.

"I love you too Tony." She smiled, her eyes filled with joy. She pulled him closer.

"I know, you said that twice today too." Tony looked her over before planting a kiss on her lips.

She pulled back after a few seconds. "Good, so now you can show me." With a sly grin she pulled Tony back onto the table.

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So TIVA fluff...yay! Okay so you know the drill. Leave a review telling me what you think and I'll send you a preview of the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Thaks so much for your reviews on the last chapter. You all are great. Thanks to Wren for the beta job.

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Chapter 10

"Hello Abby… um Abby! ABBY!" Ziva shouted over the electric guitar solo blaring from the forensic scientist's lab. She assumed the woman was in there, though she couldn't tell because of the noise, _oh excuse me, music_, that seemed to be emanating from somewhere in front of her.

"What!" Abby shouted, finally hearing her over the noise. She turned down the volume and spun around. "Oh hey Ziva!" The bubbly goth ran over, giving her a hug.

"Hello Abby." Ziva mumbled, her face pressed into Abby's shoulder.

"How are you?" Abby squealed, pushing Ziva back and looking her over. "I haven't seen you in sooooooo long."

"Abby, it has been only two days." Ziva said, the corner of her mouth pulling up into a half smile.

"I know, like a lifetime, right?" She sighed dramatically. "So…" She backed up, spreading her arms wide. "What brings you to my humble lab?"

"I was feeling particularly…useless…in the bullpen. Tony, Gibbs and McGee are at a crime scene. Ducky and Palmer are doing an autopsy…" Ziva looked down.

"Aw Ziva…" Abby hugged her again and then held her by her upper arms. "You're NOT useless. Who else but you could have made those gang bangers cry in interrogation last week? Or that rapist yesterday, who practically begged to sign a confession statement? No one but you Ziva David! So you better not feel useless." Abby's voice was firm, as was her grip on Ziva's arms.

Ziva smiled, nodding her head. "Thank you Abby. So, is there anything I can help you with until we get a suspect?"

"Unfortunately no. I'm just as bored as you are. All of my babies are working their magic and I am left here all by myself." She paused. "Ooh! Wait! I'm starving! Want to go get lunch?"

"Yes." Ziva said. "We could do that. I am kind of hungry as well."

"Alright so let's grab Miera and get going." Abby took Ziva's hand and all but dragged Ziva across the room.

"Oh, Miera is at home today."

Abby stopped suddenly, turning to face Ziva. "Is she alright?" She demanded, her voice serious.

Ziva nodded. "Of course. She is just very tired. We went for a run last night, and accidentally ran a few miles more than we meant to." Ziva heard Abby snort. "I do not get it. What is so funny Abby?"

"Just you Ziva." Abby smiled, shaking her head. "Come on." She placed Ziva's hand on her arm and gently led the younger woman from the room.

---

Pushing her sunglasses over her eyes, Ziva looked up, enjoying the feel of the early afternoon sun on her face. She sat across from Abby at a quiet little café just outside the Navy Yard. "It feels like a beautiful day."

Abby smiled wistfully. "It is Ziva. I wish you could see it."

Ziva lowered her head, facing Abby. A soft smile spread across on her face. She reached across the table for Abby's hand. "I know you do. Thank you Abby. You know…um…you know what I miss the most?"

"What?" The forensic scientist looked at her intently.

"Seeing you all. The team. I mean, in my mind…I know what you look like. But… but I will never see if anything changes. If you get another tattoo, or McGee over-bleaches his teeth again…What if Gibbs grows another moustache? And Tony…" She went silent, her sightless eyes saddening behind her sunglasses.

"What about Tony Ziva?" Abby was a little taken aback by Ziva's vulnerability. She was unaccustomed to seeing this level of emotion coming from her tough co-worker.

"As he grows older…The last time I… I saw him, I was fighting with him." She closed her eyes, praying that Abby could not see them glisten behind her shaded lenses. She forced a smile. "I am sorry Abby. I do not want to dampen your lunch."

"The term is 'put a damper on' Ziva, and you're not." Abby squeezed her friend's hand. "I know you're hurting Ziva, and I know it's not fair, but you will get through. You are Ziva David for crying out loud!"

Ziva let out a small chuckle and nodded her head. "You always know what to say Abby, even if you are a little…eccentric about it sometimes."

"Hey!" Abby lightly tapped the side of Ziva's head in a pseudo Gibbs slap.

Ziva's jaw dropped. "You did not just hit me!" She laughed. "If Tony or McGee had done that they would have lost an arm." She pointed her finger at where she believed Abby was.

Abby grinned, the smile audible in her voice. "Order your lunch Ziva."

"Um Abby?"

"Yeah Ziva?"

"What is on the menu?"

---

"That was a very good lunch Abby, thank you." The special agent clutched her co-worker's arm as they walked back to the Navy Yard.

"Thank you for the company! Do you think the…" She paused when Ziva stopped walking. Abby felt her companion tense up. "What's wrong?"

"Shhhh do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Someone is watching us. What do you see?"

"Uh…a couple walking their dog, an old lady feeding pigeons, a bunch of kids playing soccer…"

"What is over there?" Ziva pointed to her right.

Abby looked towards the area in question. "It's just a park with trees Ziva. Are you alright?"

Ziva sighed, knowing that the other woman would not, _could not,_ understand. "Yes. We should get back to NCIS, the boys will probably have evidence for you." Ziva cast one more sightless glance at the wooded area before starting to walk again, still holding Abby's arm.

The goth shot her friend a strange look, wondering what was going on. Abby turned around to face the direction in which she was walking. As she did so, both women missed noticing the dark complexioned man who was hiding in the shadows of the trees.

* * *

So there's Sentimental!Ziva and Ninja!Ziva in the same chapter :-D. Please let me know what you think. I will once again send out sneak peaks for reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you all for your reviews and thanks to Wren for beta-ing. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 11

Lance Corporal Matthew Hader had always considered himself a decent man, maybe even a good one. Loyal to family and country, he always prided himself in doing what was right. That is why when he saw a man matching the description of a wanted terrorist from a BOLO that had come through his office several weeks before, he knew that he had to report it. What Lance Corporal Hader did not know was that performing his civic duty would earn him a bullet to the chest and a one way trip to Dr. Donald Mallard's autopsy table.

---

"Dead Marine at the Corps Officer station in DC. Grab your gear."

"Dead M.P.?" Tony questioned, grabbing his bag as he and McGee moved to follow Gibbs.

"That's what I said DiNozzo. Now come on." He walked towards the elevator.

"I'll call you with an update." Tony whispered to Ziva as he ran past her desk.

The Israeli nodded and focused back on her computer where she was tracking the movements of a local drug cartel.

"Shotgun!" Tony called as he ran into the elevator, yelping when Gibbs slapped his head. "Sorry boss."

They walked to the van. "McGee, you drive. DiNozzo, in back."

"Boss really? But I got that thing that…you know…we talked about it last week." Tony whined. He grumbled when Gibbs got into the passenger seat and shut the door, confirming that Tony would be riding in the back. Looking up he saw the cocky smile on McGee's face. "Enjoy it while it lasts McBrown Noser."

"Oh, I will Tony. Now you heard the boss." The younger man held the back door open as his partner reluctantly climbed in.

As McGee drove to the crime scene he made sure to take every corner as fast as possible. He chuckled to himself as he heard Tony's grunting in the back. Once he reached the scene McGee got out of the van to find himself face to face with one very irritated Anthony DiNozzo.

Tony pushed the tool kit into McGee's arms. "Perimeter Probie. Now." He growled before walking after Gibbs towards the body.

"What'cha got for us Duck?" Gibbs walked over to the medical examiner who was already in his usual position crouching besides the body.

"Well Jethro, it appears to be a single gunshot wound to the chest. Time of death was approximately three hours ago."

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs started to walk away.

"Jethro wait, there's more. Because of the trajectory of the bullet, this poor lad was alive for several moments after the fatal shot was fired. Long enough for him to grab something off his desk." The medical examiner called Gibbs' attention to the crumpled paper clutched in the man's hand.

"What is it?" The agent squatted by his co-worker.

"I was waiting for you." Ducky gently teased the paper out of the corpse's stiff fingers. He smoothed it out and held it up for Gibbs to see. He waited to see the camera flash but it didn't come. "Is there a problem Jethro?"

"Yeah, there is Duck. Look at the paper."

Ducky lowered his hand and glanced at the paper. "Well…" His brow furrowed. "It's our BOLO."

Gibbs nodded and bent over. "What's it say? Right there?" He pointed at the upper right corner.

"It's hand written…" The ME squinted at it. "It says 12/12, 0630. That's three hours ago. Is this man telling us who killed him?"

"Yeah. He's also telling us that Officer Gidon is still in DC."

---

"Ziva, come on." Tony pulled her up from her desk.

"What is it Tony?" She asked amused as she was pulled down the hallway after him. They stopped and she heard the elevator ding and then felt Tony pull her in. They started their descent down the building, but before they could reached the next floor, Tony hit the emergency stop button.

"What are you doing?" A confused expression was plastered on Ziva's face.

"There was a dead Marine."

"I know, I heard the report." She reached for his hand.

He took hers and squeezed it. "He was holding a sheet of paper when we got to the body. It was an NCIS BOLO."

"Of?" She could hear the urgency in his voice. "Tony you are worrying me."

"Ziva Ben is still in DC. You aren't safe. You need to…"

Ziva covered his mouth with her hand, interrupting him mid sentence. "I need to work on finding him. Ben is my responsibility. I cannot back down and hide because of _Officer_ Ben Gidon. I have seen him kill in cold blood before Tony, and now he has again. So no, I cannot, and will not, run away from this."

Tony reached up and moved her hand from his mouth. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Ziva. The man…he's a killer Ziva, you said it yourself. You know he won't hesitate to kill any of us, you especially. And now…well, you can't protect yourself as well as you used to. You're doing great Ziva, better than anyone could expect, but that doesn't change the fact that you're blind and a trained assassin is looking for you."

Ziva clenched her teeth, an angry look distorting her normally gentle, exotic features. "I am capable of taking care of myself. And _you_," She jabbed him in the chest with her index finger, "should have more faith in me."

"I do have faith in you Ziva. And before we got into this argument I was going to say that you need to make sure you're with someone whenever you go outside. I would never tell you to run and hide. One, because I know you wouldn't listen, and two because I know you can protect yourself, and when you can't, I can." He saw the look on Ziva's face soften.

She dropped the hand that was still on his chest. "Oh…"

Tony chuckled and lifted her chin up, planting a light kiss on her lips. "You are so hot-headed Ziva David."

"My head is not hot!" She whacked his arm before reaching up to feel her forehead.

"Relax Zee-vah it's an expression. Really, you've been here five years, assimilate already." He teased.

"Hard to assimilate when NCIS agents are my only what do you say…role models," she linked her finger under his tie before reaching over and flicking the emergency switch again, she felt as the elevator began to rise to the bullpen.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you even have to ask…" She winked at him as the doors slid open. Pulling him out by his tie she took him back to the desks. "Back to work."

"Aye Aye Ma'am."

* * *

Please review! It will make me oh so happy. And I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 12!


	12. Chapter 12

Happy New Years Eve everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews. Thanks to Wren for beta-ing. Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12

_The blow landed with such savagery that Ziva was surprised she was still conscious. She looked back up at her captor as she felt the blood dribble from her nose. "You are wasting my time. If you do not start talking now, then I guarantee this will become much worse."_

_Ziva looked up at Saleem and smiled, her teeth coated in her own blood. She spit, satisfied when the red liquid hit his face._

"_Bitch!" The terrorist raised his hand and struck her once again, tipping her chair and sending her crashing to the floor. _

_The last thing Ziva saw before she lost consciousness was the dirty floor of her prison cell. Then everything quickly faded to black._

---

"Ziva. Ziva! It's okay. Ziva I'm right here it was just a dream." Tony leaned over the woman beside him, after she had woken up screaming. "It's just a dream. No one is hurting you!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Ziva began to calm down. As she felt her racing pulse begin to slow she reached for Tony, the panicked look still present on her face. "Another nightmare."

"I know." Tony whispered, taking her hand and kissing her forehead. "You've been having more and more recently. Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, rolling onto her side to face him. "What time is it?"

"5:13." He watched her carefully.

"We should be getting up then." Ziva rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom. A few seconds later Tony heard the water start running.

Getting up, Tony groaned as he stretched his back before joining her in the bathroom. He felt the water in the shower and started to undress.

Ziva heard him. "Tony what are you doing?"

"We have extra time Ziva, and you need to relax. Thought I'd help you."

"You are offering your…services?" A small smile graced her lips.

Tony carefully helped her undress and step into the shower. "What kind of a man do you think I am Ziva David? I am simply offering you a warm shower and a relaxing massage. You have a very dirty mind sweet cheeks." He warned mock seriously. A second later his voice lost all amusement, only sincerity remaining. "You don't need my services right now Ziva. You need someone who loves you to hold you and comfort you. To help you relax and calm your mind."

Ziva sucked in a breath and turned to face him, the warm spray hitting her back. She wrapped her arms around him and lay her head on his chest. Enjoying the feeling of warmth on her cheek, she listened to his heart beat. "Thank you Tony."

He kissed her head. "You're welcome." Reaching for her shampoo he poured some into his hand before gently massaging it through her thick curly hair. He watched her face begin to relax as he worked out the tension in her scalp. "You are beautiful Ziva."

She looked up at him, her sightless brown eyes were almost black and filled with an emotion that Tony wished he could see more of from her. Happiness. She reached up and felt his face, slowly sliding her fingers over his strong features. "I remember that you are beautiful too." She slowly let her hand trail from his cheek down letting it rest on the middle of his chest. She closed her eyes, a peaceful look coming over her features as she felt his heart beat strongly in his chest. Knowing that he loved her with all of it.

---

"I'm sorry but can't get through to Director David in Tel Aviv sir." The red-headed MTAC tech apologized to the Director of NCIS. "The line is busy."

Vance growled. "Why can't we find one man? This is ridiculous. Ziva, call your father, find out how the hunt is going on their end for Gidon."

"My father is not picking up his phone." Ziva responded calmly from the chair, where she sat beside Gibbs. Both she and her boss had been called into a meeting with the Director thirty minutes before. "It is not uncommon for my father to be…unfindable."

"Then find him David!" Vance demanded.

"What do you suggest she do Director?" Gibbs stood up, his voice firm. "Do you want me to put her on a plane to Tel Aviv? The man is not picking up his phone, she will try again later."

"What about your contacts, surely you know how to get in touch with his staff."

"I…" Ziva started before Gibbs cut her off.

"Don't ya think she's tried that? I've had her on the phone all morning. She is no longer Mossad Leon, so don't treat her like she's responsible for them being unreachable." Gibbs defended his agent.

Ziva stood as well and put a hand on his arm. "It is alright Gibbs, I will keep trying. Excuse me director." She nodded her head, dialed her father's number once again, and left the room with Miera.

Once the door shut, Gibbs faced his boss. "What game are you playing here Leon?"

"It is not like Mossad to go off the grid. Something has happened Gibbs, and she's our best chance of finding out what. After she lost her sight and you asked me to let you keep her on your team, you told me that she would be receiving no special treatment."

"Are you implying that I'm babying her? She works just as hard and just as long as DiNozzo and McGee. Hell, she probably works as hard as both of them combined, but some things are just not possible for her to do. Like find her father when he's on the other side of the world and does not want to be found. Could you find him?"

Vance was silent.

"I didn't think so. Don't doubt her. She's an outstanding agent. And all due respect, but she can still kick your ass Director." Gibbs clapped his boss on the shoulder before leaving the room. He walked out of MTAC into a scene that would forever be etched into his memory.

Ziva leaned against the wall outside the command center, her eyes filled with unshed tears. He watched as, almost in slow motion, Ziva's phone slipped from her shaking fingers and crashed to the ground. He ran over to her as he watched her slowly lower herself down the wall to the ground. "Ziva what happened!" He knelt beside her.

She faced him, her eyes wide and filled with horror. "Gibbs…my father... my father has been killed."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think and I'll send you a sneak peak for the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Wow! 200 reviews! Ya'll are great! Thank you so much for reading. Thanks to Wren for beta-ing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Oh, I have also been informed that Ben-Gidon is the last name of Ziva's control officer, but because I have called him Ben in several chapters, I have decided to leave it the way it is. I hope you all don't mind.

* * *

Chapter 13

The next several hours passed in a flurry of activity for the NCIS agents. Ziva's news of her father's death had spread like wildfire through the office. Within five minutes, Vance had called Gibbs into a meeting with the second of command of Mossad in MTAC. Meanwhile, Ziva had taken refuge in the elevator which was currently positioned between the bullpen and the floor beneath it.

"Ziva open up! Come on Ziva, let me in!." Tony was on his knees by the elevator doors. He was shouting through them, unsure if she could hear him. Abby and McGee stood nervously behind him. Tony turned around to face them. "Don't just stand there Probie, help me!"

"What do you want me to do Tony?" He stepped closer, for once not irritated by the nickname.

"Ooh!" Abby jumped. "I have a crowbar in my lab. I'll go get it!" She quickly ran down the stairs as both men stared after her. Both had confused expressions plastered across their faces.

"Crowbar?" Tony mouthed.

"Don't ask." McGee warned him, shaking his head.

Tony shrugged it off and focused back on the elevator doors. "Ziva please." He begged, once again not getting a response.

"Got it! Got it!" Abby cried, skidding to a stop beside Tony, the aforementioned crowbar gripped triumphantly in her hand. "Show us what you got Tony." She handed him the tool.

Expertly gripping the crowbar, Tony jammed it between the two doors. After he easily pried open the external doors he got to work on the much more stubborn inner doors. He grunted, sweat rolling off his forehead. "Come on, come on!" He felt McGee's hands on the crowbar behind him, he nodded his thanks.

"Ready Tony, one, two, three push!" Giving it all they had both men felt the elevator doors groan open.

Tony quickly let go of the crowbar and slid into the dark space. As his eyes adjusted to the light he saw Ziva sitting in the corner, her knees to her chest. Her head was lowered and her hair was a curtain hiding her face. He knelt in front of her.

"Ziva…" He breathed, reaching out and gently tilting her chin up. His heart broke to see the tears streaking her face and the sadness that filled her eyes. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. She went without a fight. In all the years he'd known her, he had never seen her this distraught. Not after Gibbs was injured, or Roy died. Not as she recounted her tale from Somalia or even when she lost her sight. "Talk to me." He said gently as he rubbed circles on her back.

She faced him, the tears had stopped flowing, but the look on her face was heart breaking none the less. "He was the only family I had left Tony." She swallowed. "Now everyone is gone." She felt his thumbs on her cheeks, gently wiping away the spilled tears. "I did not want to bury another member of my family."

"I know Ziva." Tony hugged her to his chest and stroked her soft hair. "I know…"

"My father…I know he and I have had our differences and I know you still hate him for Somalia... but.... but he still...he still was my father. I will miss him. Just like I miss my brother Ari although I know he was not a good man. I am sorry Tony, you must think that I am a horrible person, feeling a loss with their deaths."

"No one can blame you for being upset about the death of a family member Ziva. They are your blood. But even though, we're not blood," he said looking into her foggy eyes, "we are your family too, lean on us for support, we'll hold you up."

"Please do not leave me Tony. I can't lose you too. Please don't leave..." She whispered, finally seeming to calm down.

"I would never."

---

"Aright McGee, what you got?" Gibbs jogged down the stairs and back into the bullpen. A much calmer Ziva was back at her desk, and the elevator was back in service.

"This is footage of Gidon arriving in the Tel Aviv airport yesterday afternoon and then leaving later that night. I called Dulles and asked them to send over their security footage. Sure enough Gidon landed four hours ago. When I followed the footage back, I was able to get the flight number and found that he was booked under an alias." McGee pulled up the corresponding screen captures on the plasma.

"Why didn't anyone recognize him from our BOLO?" Gibbs squinted at the man on the screen.

"He did a pretty good job disguising himself. Prosthetic nose, facial hair, wig…"

"Then how do you know it's him McGee!" Gibbs demanded.

"I can answer that one Gibbs." Abby said, getting up from her boss' desk. "The facial recognition program that I wrote identifies people based on the underlying bone structure of a persons face. Kinda like those things that…"

"Abby!" Gibbs snapped. "The point please."

"Right oh _jefe_, the point is, the program can tell the real shape of a person's face. No silicon prosthetic can fool my scanner. And that is why…" She grabbed the remote from McGee, quickly calling up a picture of the man at the airport and the BOLO put out on Officer Gidon. "I can tell you, that these are the same men. Ben Gidon is definitely back in DC."

"Good work Abbs." He kissed her head before starting to walk away.

"Wait Gibbs, there's more." She bounced on her three inch platform boots. "Timmy updated the BOLO with Gidon's new face and we found where he's staying."

McGee took the remote back and pulled up a picture of a hotel. "He's at the Red-Roof Inn, 500 H street."

"That's good work you two. McGee, pull up satellite footage of the area, DiNozzo…" He looked over at his senior field agent who was sitting beside Ziva. Both of whom were only half paying attention to the recent revelations. "With me."

"Yeah boss." Tony stood up and dropped a kiss on Ziva's head. "Don't worry Ziva, we'll get him."

She fumbled around for his hand. Finally catching it, she held it tightly. "Stay safe." She squeezed his hand before releasing it.

"You too." Tony replied before running after Gibbs and joining him in the elevator. As the silver colored doors slid shut, the last thing Tony saw was Ziva lowering her head to rest her forehead on her desk.

---

"Ziva it's gonna be okay." Abby crossed the bullpen and sat on her friend's desk. "It's Tony and Gibbs. They'll get him. I know it."

Ziva raised her head and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "I hope you are right Abby."

Abby reached over and rubbed Ziva's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Vance will not let me go to Israel. He says that Tony and I must stay on the Navy Yard until the threat is…resolved."

The goth sighed. She knew that it was hard for her friend, but she also new it was the best way to keep Ziva out of harm's way. "They're trying to protect you Ziva." She braced herself, preparing for Ziva's outburst declaring that she did not need protection. The outburst never came.

"I know." Ziva replied softly.

* * *

Happy New Years everyone! May 2010 be the year of TIVA! Please leave me a signed review and I will send you a preview of chapter 14.


	14. Chapter 14

Hi all, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Thanks to Wren for betaing and also thanks to googlefish for cleaning up the mess I made when I tried to change some of the wording of the chapter. Here is where the plot thickens. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14

"Are you sure the Navy Lodge allows pets Tony? I do not want to leave Miera at home." Ziva sat in the conference room with the other agent and the dog in question.

The trip earlier that day to find Gidon at his hotel had proved to be unsuccessful. As a result, Ziva and Tony were still confined to the Navy Yard, both agents being ordered to stay at NCIS until a safe house could be put together for them.

Tony chuckled. "Service dogs are allowed anywhere Ziva." He watched Miera affectionately lay her head in her mistress' lap.

Ziva stroked the dog's head with one hand, using the other to prop her own head up on the table. "This is ridiculous. We should be allowed to go home. He is one man and there are two of us. We outnumber him!" She sighed as she shut her eyes.

"Only one of us has a gun." He reminded her.

"Well that is why Vance should give me mine back."

"Ziva, you can't shoot if you can't see the target." He reminded her lightly. They had had this conversation again and again. Apparently, he wasn't getting through to her.

"I could still shoot better than you." She challenged teasingly.

He laughed again. "Actually I'm sure you could, but let's try this novel idea called following orders." He was still smiling at her responding eye roll when Gibbs walked into the room.

"Something funny DiNozzo?" He gestured for Tony to give him a moment with Ziva.

"No boss." Tony kept the grin on his face as he exited the room.

Gibbs sat in Tony's vacated seat. A smile of his own spread across his face as he saw Ziva instantly sit up at attention.

"Hello Gibbs."

"Hello Ziva, how are you doing?"

"I am fine Gibbs. You should not worry so much." She felt his hand on her own.

"Assistant Director Ahmad will be in touch with Vance. We'll keep you up dated on what is going on in Israel."

"Thank you Gibbs. But what are you not telling me now?"

Gibbs looked down at the crime scene photos in his hand. They had been emailed from Tel Aviv and contained disturbing images of the former Director of Mossad. His body lay stabbed to death in his own office with a threat to his family written in his blood on the wall behind him. For the first time Gibbs was thankful that Ziva could not see. "Nothing Ziva. Ahmad says that he has his best man guarding your father's body and that he will be buried next to your mother and Tali."

Ziva nodded. "Is this always how you handle a threat on a team member's life? Confine them to the Navy Yard?"

Gibbs shrugged. "This is the safest way, normally the threat isn't so…"

"Likely to succeed." Ziva replied quietly before she felt Gibbs hand striking the back of her head. "What was that for!"

"For doubting us and yourself. Now get some rest Ziva, I'll see you at 0700 sharp."

---

Ziva lay still on the bed in the Navy Lodge, her head resting on Tony's chest. She listened to one of Tony's favorite movies as it blared from the TV's speakers.

"Okay Ziva, so the man with the scar on his face is hiding behind the wall and is about to kidnap the belly dancer."

"Why does she not run?"

"She doesn't have anywhere to go." He stroked her hair.

Ziva sighed. "Maybe it is for the best."

"What do you mean?" His hand stopped moving and he looked down at her curiously.

She rolled onto her side, facing away from him. "If the threat is so imminent, would it not be better for everyone else if she just let herself get taken? Then everyone else could get on with their lives."

"What about the guy who loves her?" Tony rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand, looking at her, sensing something was amiss.

"Y-He would move on. It is the way of life Tony. People leave. The people she left will adapt and move on."

"Who are we talking about Ziva? The belly dancer or you?" Tony demanded as a scream sounded from the TV. The woman had just seen her attacker.

"Does it matter?" She got up and felt her way into the bathroom. As she splashed water on her face, she heard Tony enter the room behind her.

"Of course it matters Ziva. Don't you dare tell me you want to give up." He grabbed her shoulders and forcefully spun her around, forcing her to face him.

She slapped his hands away. "Get off of me Tony. You do not understand. This threat that is mine alone has become a sentence hanging over all of your heads. I am tired of it. It needs to end." She tried to walk past him but he caught her arm.

"What are you saying Ziva?" His voice was firm.

"I am saying that you have to let me go Tony." She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "If Ben really wants me, then he will succeed. There is no use in you going down with me."

"Do you really think I'm going to let that psychopath kill you?" Tony was shocked at her words. "You can't be serious!"

"It is what it is Tony. Can you not see that?" She crossed her arms over her chest. Ziva's face remained calm as if they were talking about the weather, rather than her death.

"So are you telling me you want to die Ziva?" Tony felt sick to his stomach.

"No!" Ziva shouted. "I do not want to die, for the first time in my life I was happy. I _am_happy. What I want is for all of you to be safe."

"You think that him killing you would make us anymore safe than we are now! One, we don't want to lose you and two, if you remember, he blew up the NCIS bullpen. So maybe, just maybe, it's not all about you Ziva! Get over yourself!" Tony had not been this angry at her since she had stayed in Israel.

Ziva felt as if the air had been forced out of her lungs, she slowly leaned back against the wall. "I have."

Tony felt his blood boiling. "Don't start this shit again Ziva! You were doing so good putting your life back together.... You know what, maybe you are just to broken to be fixed! Maybe you really are as damaged as Vance says!"

Not believing what she was hearing, Ziva pursed her lips and hugged herself tighter. She did not trust herself enough to respond to him. All she could do was stand there and try her hardest to hold in the unshed tears that were threatening to spill.

Tony watched the hurt cross her face and as he realized what he said. "Ziva I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I am going to go to bed." She pushed herself away from the wall. "Go take a walk, clear your head. We can talk in the morning" She told him calmly as she felt her way back to bed.

He nodded, knowing she was right. "I love you Ziva."

She sighed. "I know you do. I love you too." She got in bed as she heard him zip up his jacket. "Stay safe."

"You too." He replied as he opened the door and walked out into the silver snow.

---

Ziva was just about to drift off to sleep when a crash came from the other side of the room. She was on her feet in an instant, her knife clutched in her hand as she felt the cold air drift in through the broken down door. She lashed out with her weapon, pleased when she heard the cruel ripping of flesh and someone cursing in Hebrew.

She heard Miera bark and growl before she heard another crash and a whimper come from her faithful companion. She grit her teeth and lashed out once again at her unseen attackers. By the sound of their footsteps, she assumed there to be three of them. She felt a set of hands around her neck and another set on her wrists, forcing her to drop the knife. Slamming her head backwards, she was satisfied to feel the crunch of one of her attacker's noses and feel the release of his hands from her throat. Ziva kicked out at her other captor, catching him in the side. He still he did not release her arms. She kicked again, harder, and finally she was released. Before she could regain her breath, a blow to the back sent her sprawling on the ground. She tried to get up but one of the men quickly put a knee on her back and his hands on her arms, effectively pressing her face into the carpet.

"I thought you said she was blind!" The man on her back hissed, obviously to his leader.

Ziva struggled under her captor as she heard footsteps close to her head.

Someone grabbed her hair and tugged her head up. She gasped in a breath, her eyes darting around fruitlessly.

"She is." Came a voice from above her, a voice she recognized. Gidon let go of her hair, letting the side of her face slam back into the ground before bending over and injecting a tranquilizer in her neck.

As consciousness became harder and harder to grasp Ziva continued to struggle under her captor's body weight before going still, as the drug took its effect.

* * *

Well there ya have it. You all know the drill, signed reviews get a sneak peak! So...please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Wow guys, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter! That's the most I've gotten on any single chapter! You all rock. Thanks to Wren for beta-ing. She also rocks. So here's chapter 15, enjoy!

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Chapter 15

Anthony DiNozzo was furious at himself. As he walked slowly through the softly falling DC snow he thought about the unnecessarily cruel things he had said to the one woman he loved. "You idiot! Stupid!" He lashed out, kicking a rock. He was satisfied to see it skid a hundred feet across the snow. He could not believe that he had referred to Ziva as broken or damaged. She was his personal ninja. There was absolutely nothing damaged about her. Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair as he completed his walk by the Anacostia River. He headed back toward the room.

Before he reached the parking lot, his gut told him something was wrong. His eyes quickly confirmed his feeling. Drawing his gun he sprinted towards the broken down door.

When he ran into the room, he saw the signs of a skirmish. His eyes scanned the room taking in the red drops speckled across the floor. _Blood_. He saw Miera laying on her side by the wall, slowly beginning to wake up. Dark red blood matted her golden fur coming from a deep gash behind her left foreleg.

He rushed over to the dog to check her injuries as he pressed Gibbs' speed dial. As soon as he heard the click of someone answering the phone he began talking. He did not giving them time to offer a greeting. "Boss, Ziva's gone. It looks like there was a fight and Miera is injured."

"Stay there. We'll meet you." Gibbs said nothing else before hanging up.

Tony drew in a shuddering breath as he fell back against the wall. He slid to the ground images as of Ziva beaten and scared in Somalia flashed through his mind.

Forcefully elbowing the wall behind him he bellowed in anger. He lowered his head into his hand, trying to catch his breath, until he heard a soft "woof" from his left.

Turning his head he saw Miera limping towards him. The dog sat beside him and lowered her head, licking her wound.

Tony reached out a shaking hand and rubbed the dog's ears, hoping that the simple motion could provide comfort for both of them.

---

Ziva gasped as the rough burlap sack was pulled off her head. A thousand different sensations assaulted her at once as she desperately tried to catch her breath.

An unexpected blow to the side of the head left her ears ringing, but she didn't let it deter her from continuing to take stock of her surroundings. She could tell that her hands and feet were bound to a chair and she assumed that there was a window because she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face. What she could not possibly know was that there was a camera and a laptop pointed in her direction. The red light on the recording device was on. The tape was rolling.

---

"There there my dear animal." Ducky said as he and Palmer gently lifted Miera onto a gurney and into the van for transport back to NCIS.

"Don't worry Tony, we'll have her patched up in no time." The medical examiner's assistant said as he shut the door of the van and walked to the driver's side.

Tony nodded, not really hearing what was saying. He looked over at Gibbs, who was finishing swabbing the blood drops on the floor.

Gibbs had joined Tony less than ten minutes after he called. He informed his agent that Abby and McGee had been called in and were scouring surveillance footage from the Navy Yard, looking for any hint of where Ziva was.

"What happened Tony?" Gibbs asked.

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "We had a fight. She told me to go take a walk, to calm down." He looked around the room, taking in the destruction around him. "I walked the loop by the river and then circled back through the courtyard. When I got to the parking lot I saw the door. I drew my gun, ran over... Ziva was gone and Miera was injured." He paused before an even more frightened look passed over his face. "He's gonna kill her Gibbs. We have to start looking. We have to find her!" Tony started for the door but was stopped by Gibbs' hand on his arm. "What Gibbs! We don't have time to lose. We gotta go!"

Gibbs fixed him with his trademark stare. "I know. I was going to tell you that you have to keep a stay calm and keep focused DiNozzo. That's the best way to help Ziva. Now get in the car."

---

"The fallen warrior." Ziva heard Gidon pacing circles around her chair. "You know Ziva, when I first heard that you had gone blind from my bomb, I could not believe it. I was almost.... disappointed. Not so much for you, but for you not being able to see what I was going to do to you and your father." He sneered.

Ziva barred her teeth and strained against her restraints. "Bastard!"

Her former team leader chuckled and grabbed her hair. Pulling her head back, he held his knife to her throat.

Ziva gasped, her sightless eyes open wide.

"But then I realized that this was so much better." He let go of her hair and struck her across the face.

The blow came without warning and Ziva bit down on her lip to keep from crying out.

"My bomb had been planted simply to distract NCIS while I was taking care of things in Israel. I did not intend to do much damage. I guess your blindness is just an added…treat." He landed another blow on the side of her abdomen, disappointed when she didn't scream.

He continued. "Saleem could not break you. But here, I have you already broken and…I have a weapon that he did not." He drew his knife lightly across her cheek, leaving a thin red trail. He was pleased when he heard her suck in a breath. "Your American friend…DiNozzo correct?"

Ziva remained silent, fire filling her eyes. Her heart beginning to race.

"Yes, that is right. Tony. So, you will tell me everything I want to know about my family's deaths. I will kill you Ziva. That is inevitable. But, if you refuse to talk, I will also kill your little boyfriend."

"No!"

Gidon laughed, a cruel heartless laugh, and slapped her across the face again. "I am being very generous Ziva. Your life is worthless now that you are…handicapped. But even so, if you tell me what I want to know, I will spare his life. If he means as much to you as I believe him to, you will do what I ask. So will you talk Ziva?"

Ziva shut her eyes tight, preparing to go against everything she was taught. "Yes... I will tell you everything."

* * *

Well folks, there ya have it! Please leave a signed review and I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 16!


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for your reviews and thank you to Wren for betaing!

A/N: I struggled with how to format this before realizing that an authors note would be much simplier than a bunch of italics and bolding and what not. So here goes...Both parts of this chapter happen simultaneously. What the team sees on the screen is what is going on with Ziva and Ben. So there is no jumping back and forth, other than in the first couple paragraphs which occur with the start of the torture in chapter 15. Everything is linear. Sorry if that was confusing.

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Chapter 16

Tony and the rest of his co-workers felt sick to their stomachs as they took in the scene in front of them. An email containing a link had been sent to NCIS with just one word of instruction written in it; "watch."

They did as directed. As the live feed played, they began to wish they hadn't. They saw the burlap sack harshly ripped off of Ziva's head. They saw the blows her lithe body sustained. They heard her captor threaten Tony's life and then they saw something they never would have expected. They saw their brave warrior give in.

"No! Ziva what are you doing!" Tony shouted at the screen as if the captive could hear him.

"Tony, calm down. It's gonna be alright." McGee said from his computer as he continued to scan surveillance footage for any clue.

Tony spun around, his face reddened with anger. "How can you say that! She is having the crap beaten out of her and everything is alright!? How is that alright?"

Abby rushed over to him placing a comforting a hand on his arm. "Tony, what McGee is failing to say is that if she talks, that could buy us time to find her. Look at the lighting of the room, it's natural, not yellow like indoor lights. So there has to be a window, or a sky light, or something that is allowing natural light inside. If we can even get just a glimpse of it on feed, then maybe, just maybe, we will be able to see some landmarks."

Tony didn't respond but slowly turned back to face the screen…

---

"Alright Ziva, let's start at the beginning, shall we?" Gidon stood next to her chair. Both of them were in plain sight of the camcorder.

Ziva swallowed and took a quick breath. "Ari infiltrated Hamas in 2000. His mission was to provide Intel to Mossad and the CIA about terrorist activities in the Middle East. When the bombing occurred, killing…killing your…" She paused, afraid of what his reaction to her coming words would be.

"Killing my wife and daughter!" The man yelled, finishing the thought for her and stabbing his blade into the soft flesh of her thigh.

Ziva grit her teeth and hissed in pain. The color drained from her face, leaving it a sickly white. The searing pain in her leg made her feel sick. She held her breath as he withdrew the knife. She felt him wipe the blade clean on her shirt and she felt her warm blood trickling down her thigh.

"Stopping will only make this more painful for you Ziva." Her tormentor said, having regained his composure.

The injured woman took a breath. "As will telling you something you do not want to hear?" The following blow to the jaw did not surprise her in the least.

"Yes."

---

As the blows continued to reign down upon their friend while she continued to recount past events, the NCIS agents forced themselves to watch, praying for a clue.

"How bad did he get her Duck?" Gibbs quietly asked the ME, referring to Ziva's wound.

"It's deep Jethro, but not fatal. The blood is dark; non-arterial. The poor girl…" Ducky drifted off into his own thoughts.

"Anything yet McGee?" Tony demanded, his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth a thin line.

McGee sighed. "Not yet. We found them leaving the Navy Lodge, but we don't have them leaving base."

"So why can't we find them!"

"Because they disappear into the trees Tony." Abby grabbed the remote from Gibbs and minimized the feed. She signaled for McGee to pull up the security footage. Together, the team watched as the Jeep disappeared onto a wooded trail.

Tony nodded, unhappily accepting what she was telling him. "Can't you track the feed?"

"We're trying." McGee said. "But he's bouncing it off servers all over the world. We keep losing the link in China. But we'll pick it up again Tony. I promise."

Tony nodded once more and looked back at the screen…

---

"It is not good enough!" Ben Gidon kicked her in the side, pleased to hear her gasp for air. Though disappointed that she still hadn't screamed, he was happy to be getting some sort of reaction from the stone-faced agent.

"I have told you everything I know!" Ziva shouted, anger steaming from every word.

"It is not good enough Ziva!"

Ziva lungs ached for oxygen. She desperately tried to take in air as she sorted her thoughts. She knew that she had to continue though she did not have any words left to say. It was too late for her. She knew it, accepted it. But Tony still had his whole life ahead of him. "What else do you want to know?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"I want to know _why_ Ziva."

"I do not know why Ben!" Ziva shouted, her frustration out weighting her pain.

"Yes. You. Do!" He shouted, once again losing his cool. He aimed another kick at the battered woman in the chair. The heel of his boot slamming forcefully into her left upper arm.

---

The resounding _crack_ was met by horrified gasps by the assembled agents.

"Gibbs!" Abby ran to her boss and buried her face in his shoulder. He rubbed her back, and for once he was unable to offer a word of comfort

"Ziva…" Tony whispered, watching as the woman he loved dropped her head, losing the fight with consciousness.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a signed review and I will send you a preview of the next chapter :-D


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you guys so much for your reviews on the last chapter. Because I move back to school tomorrow I wanted to get this chapter up today instead of making ya'll wait till Monday. Don't worry, me going back to school does not mean updates will come as slowly as they did last semester, through chapter 24 is already written. Thanks to Wren for betaing.

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Chapter 17

"_Lezazl!_" Gidon screamed furiously. It was just like Ziva to stay silent. Now she was unconscious and he couldn't continue his quest for information until she woke up. He stormed over to the camera. Forcefully he brushed past it, satisfied when it spun quickly on its stand. He grabbed it, yanked the cord out, and threw it at the wall. As the broken pieces of the camera clattered to the floor he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

---

"No. No!" Tony yelled as the feed cut off. He walked over and smacked the TV. "No!"

"DiNozzo knock it off!" Gibbs commanded. He grabbed the younger agent by his upper arm to prevent him from further assaulting the TV. "Ziva is still alive! Her being unconscious buys us time. You need to calm down. You can't help her like this!"

Hearing the furious clacking of keyboard keys, he looked over to Abby and McGee. "What do you guys have?"

"When he hit the camera…" McGee started.

Abby finished for him, "It spun. It gave us just enough of time to get a glance at a window on the wall behind it. If we can just isolate the frame…"

McGee pulled the recording of the feed onto the plasma. "There." He paused the video.

"Let me just clean up the image." Abby hit a few more keys on the computer, easily cleaning up the blurry image.

"What's that?" Gibbs squinted at the image.

"They're in Georgetown Gibbs." Ducky spoke up. "That's one of the university buildings. Abby, find the GPS coordinates of the medical center. They are just a few meters west of that. Probably in an old warehouse."

"Are you positive Ducky?" Tony questioned, desperation present in his voice.

"I have no doubt my boy. Now go."

Tony and McGee geared up as Abby placed a post-it with the coordinates in Gibbs' hand.

"Be safe. And bring her home."

---

Pain. It seemed to be a recurring theme of Ziva's life. As she regained consciousness, she was aware of nothing other than the searing pain in her arm and leg. A little voice in the back of her head reminded her what was going on. _Capture. Questions. Torture. Pain._ She didn't open her eyes. She knew the sooner she opened her eyes, the sooner the torture would return.

She heard the door open and shut as someone walked into the room. She once again felt a hand grabbing her hair and pulling her head back. It took all of her previous Mossad training to not react. Feeling the hand let go she let her head drop naturally.

"Crap." A male voice said; not Gidon's, but definitely an Israeli. "She is still out cold Hadar."

"Patience Daniel." Another voice said. This voice Ziva recognized as one of her old control officers, Amit Hadar. She assumed that these must have been the two men who had abducted her with Gidon.

"I want to get my shots in." The man identified as Daniel growled. "The stupid bitch sliced my arm open."

Hadar chuckled darkly. "You should not talk so much about getting your ass kicked by a blind woman. You should be humiliated that she managed to get a slice in and break your nose. You are lucky that Gidon is too focused on torturing her to notice your mediocre performance."

Ziva heard a long string of curse words in Hebrew and it took all her will power to keep her lips from turning into an involuntary smile. So she HAD gotten a few good jabs in before she was subdued. She continued to listen to the men's conversation as she wondered where her captor was.

---

The incomplete team stopped in front of a worn down warehouse a few blocks from the Georgetown medical center. Tony, Gibbs, and McGee quickly exited the car, their service weapons drawn. McGee looked at the screen capture that Abby had sent to his phone. "This looks like the place." He whispered.

Gibbs nodded. "McGee around back, DiNozzo with me." All three men started towards their destination. Gibbs held up a closed fist for Tony to stop behind him. "Go!" He shouted to McGee before kicking the door down and storming into the room.

---

Ziva's head snapped up as soon as she heard the crash. She heard a mix of voices shouting in English and Hebrew and what sounded like gunfire from five different weapons. She heard several more crashes. Then for a second, all was silent.

---

Before the dust had settled Tony was back on his feet, running towards the battered woman strapped to the chair. "Ziva it's me. It's Tony. You're safe now." He made quick work of untying her ankles and her right arm.

"Tony…" She whispered, reaching out her freed hand towards him.

He took her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "I'm here Z. I have to untie your other arm." He looked at her wounded limb, the blood draining from his face when he saw something glistening white protruding through the torn flesh. Tony looked up and saw McGee and Gibbs rushing over. "Gibbs and McGee are here Ziva. We're all here. You're gonna be ok. We'll get you help."

"Ambulance is on its way Tony." McGee told him.

Tony nodded. "Did you hear that Ziva?" He caressed her ear, the only part of her body that did not seem bruised or broken.

Despite the pain she was in, a small smile played on her lips. "I am blind Tony. Not deaf. Of course I heard it."

Gibbs chuckled at her answer, laying a gentle hand on her head. "Are you ready Ziver? McGee and DiNozzo are going to untie your other arm." He slipped his hand into her freed one and was pleasantly surprised by her strong grip.

"I am ready."

Gibbs nodded, signaling to the men to start. As Tony sliced through the rope that had secured her wrist to the chair, McGee held her arm steady in order to keep the wound from opening wider.

Other than a slight hiss of pain, Ziva remained silent as the men worked. As they finished, they heard the siren shriek of the approaching ambulance.

Even when Tony had finished cutting the rope freeing Ziva's arm, McGee remained on the ground supporting the limb until a paramedic relieved him.

"Gidon was not here was he?" Ziva asked quietly as her arm was braced and she was strapped to a backboard.

Everyone in the room was astonished by her calmness.

Gibbs leaned over and brushed some hair out of Ziva's face. "No Ziver, but we got the other two and we'll get him. Don't you worry. Tony is going to go with you to the hospital and we'll see you soon. I promise." He leaned over and placed a kiss on an unbruised spot on her forehead.

She flashed him a pained smile as she held onto Tony's hand with her good one. She felt him let go as the EMTs loaded her into the ambulance. Seconds later she felt his hand slip back into hers. She turned her head to face where she knew he was. "Tony…"

"Shhh Ziva, you don't have to talk." He said gently as if, almost on cue, an oxygen mask was slipped over her face and an IV was placed in her arm. "I'm here and you're safe." He said.

She nodded her head and let her eyes slip shut as morphine was injected into her IV. The last thing she was aware of as she drifted off into a drug induced sleep were the words she would never tire of hearing, "I love you Ziva."

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So I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty long story. Are ya'll okay with that? Please leave a signed review and I'll send you a sneak peak of Chapter 18.


	18. Chapter 18

Good morning folks! Here you go, next chapter :-D. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, over 300 reviews, wow! Thanks to Wren for beta-ing. So here goes with chapter 18!

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Chapter 18

Sitting in the hard plastic hospital chair, listening to the rhythmic whirls and beeps of the different machines, Tony kept vigil at the bedside of the wounded warrior. Looking past all the bruises on her battered face, he could tell that she was sleeping peacefully after her surgery to put plates and screws in her broken arm.

He shuddered as he looked over her other injuries. If she wasn't already blind, she would have been without sight for a while in her right eye being it was swollen shut. The cuts on her lip and cheek had been stitched. Tony's eyes drifted down. He knew that under her thin hospital gown her abdomen was wrapped, supporting her broken ribs, and her thigh was wound in a cloud of gauze. He sighed. "Ziva…"

He jumped when he heard an unexpected groan coming from the form before him. His head snapped up. "Ziva!" He grabbed the hand of her unbandaged arm.

Though she did not open her eyes, a soft smile played across her face. "Tony." Her voice was hoarse.

"Shhh don't talk. Do you want some ice?"

She nodded her head and a second later felt the cool ice on her dry lips.

Tony slipped the ice chip between her lips and stroked her hair as she sucked on it. "How are you feeling Ziva?"

"I feel like I was hit by a duck." She said softly.

Tony couldn't help but snort. "A duck?"

"Did I say something wrong? May I have more ice?" She reached to where she thought the cup may be.

He slipped another chip between her lips and kissed her head. "Hit by a truck Z."

"Oh." She sucked on the ice. "Have you found Ben yet?"

Tony sighed. "No, we haven't. But he's not going to get to you. We're not going to let him. You're safe now Ziva." He once again looked down at the battered woman in the bed, wishing that they had found her sooner. "Ziva I'm so sorry. I should have never left."

Ziva shook her head and raised her hand. "Not now Tony. I do not have the strength to argue with you."

"Who says we're arguing? I was going to apologize for saying all that. I never meant any of it."

"I know that Tony. What I do not feel like doing is arguing with about who is at fault. It is not your fault Tony." She lowered her hand to lay it across her aching ribs.

"It's all my fault! If I didn't leave... this.... this never would have happened Ziva." Tony was beginning to feel overwhelmed by guilt.

She growled and Tony was impressed by her ferocity even though it was aimed at him. "Tony stop it now! Those men were trained killers. So yes, maybe I would not have been abducted, but what if they had killed you?" She heard him go silent. "These past few months have been hard on me Tony, but I got through it because of YOU. I would not want to exist if YOU did not." She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the trail of tears cascade down her cheeks.

Tony was shocked by her words. He stared down at the woman in the bed, the woman who had sacrificed so much for him. Who had again and again given of herself even when she had nothing left to give in order to keep him safe. "I don't deserve you."

Ziva snorted and began to laugh, but it died off with a groan as her ribs began to throb. "You are a foolish man Anthony DiNozzo. If Gibbs heard you say that he would head slap you."

"Yeah, well I probably deserve a thousand."

"Hmm." Ziva murmured. "I am going to sleep now Tony. When I wake up I do not want to hear such silly thoughts from you."

Tony bestowed a soft smile upon her, though he knew she wouldn't perceive it. Leaning over, he kissed her head. "Sweet dreams Ziva David. I love you."

---

Ziva was sitting up in bed the next morning when she heard her latest guest arrive. "Hello Abby."

"Ziva!" The goth let out a high pitched shriek and ran to the bed. She skidded to a stop just short of falling onto the injured woman. "I'm so glad you're alright…well…I guess you're not alright…You're all beat up…Oh Ziva." Abby sniffed.

The Israeli was impressed by how many emotions Abby could pass through in one breath. "I am alright Abby." She offered her friend a lopsided smile, the right side of her face was still very swollen. She pat the bed beside her and felt it dip as the forensic scientist took a seat. "How is Miera?" Ziva questioned, concern heavy in her voice. Tony had informed her that her companion was well, but he was not able to provide much more information.

"Oh she's great! She's such a sweetheart. Palmer did a really good job patching her up too. Just a few stitches and she's back to her happy self. She's staying at my place until you get home."

Ziva smiled again. "Thank you so much Abby, and please tell Jimmy thank you for me too. I am relieved that she is alright."

Abby gently squeezed Ziva's hand. "So how are you doing? Really?"

"I am very sore." She ran her hand over the cast that encased her arm from her shoulder to her fingers.

Abby sighed. "I bet." She said sadly. "I'm really sorry Ziva."

"Oh not you too. If one more person tells me that they are sorry…" Ziva warned.

"Okay okay!" Abby laughed. "Can I sign your cast?"

Ziva nodded and felt Abby gently begin to draw on the plaster. She waited until the movement stopped. "What does it say?"

"It says 'get well soon' and then I just drew a little happy face by it."

Ziva smiled a little. "Thank you Abby."

Abby heard a new inflection in her tone. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I am just tired."

"Then go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Abby stood and helped the wounded woman lay down comfortably on the bed.

"Thank you." Ziva said sleepily before she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

---

"Boss it's been over a week and still no sign of Gidon." McGee addressed Gibbs as the older man strode into the bullpen, ever present coffee cup in hand.

"Keep looking McGee." He ordered before looking over to his senior field agent. "DiNozzo, you're bringing Ziva home today?"

"Yeah Boss. She's getting discharged." Tony put his gun and ID in his desk drawer and slid into his chair.

"How is she Tony?" McGee asked, looking up from his computer.

"Not out of the woods yet Probie." Tony looked tiredly at computer as another day began.

* * *

So...first day of classes. Wish me luck! Please leave a signed review and I will send you a sneak peak of Chapter 19.


	19. Chapter 19

My list of thank yous! 1) To my beta, Wren-this would all be gibberish without you! 2) To my loyal readers-Ya'll rock hard core. 3) To NCISTivaFan30-Thank you thank you thank you for giving me the idea for scene 3 of this chapter!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 19

"What are you doing Tony?" Ziva demanded as she felt Tony climb onto the bed, sitting behind her. A second later she felt a gentle tugging on her hair.

"Brushing your hair? What does it feel like?" He chuckled.

Ziva raised her hand and felt the rectangular brush. "That is not my brush. It had better not be an old girlfriend's."

"No Zee-vah. It's my brush. What, are you worried about lice?" He teased.

She pursed her lips. "No. If you own a brush why did you always look so…disheveled?" She climbed onto her knees, turning around to face him. She winced a little as she put weight on her leg. She reached out and ran her fingers through his messy hair, enjoying the feel.

"It's a hard look to accomplish." He grinned and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Her bruises had healed well over the past two weeks, leaving only a slight discoloration that would fade over time.

Ziva smiled and placed her hand on the back of his head, pinning his lips to her cheek.

"Um…Ziva?" Tony mumbled, his mouth pushed up against her face.

"Yes?" She questioned innocently, enjoying the feel of his five o'clock shadow tickling her cheek.

"You gonna let me up?" He mumbled before he felt her release his head. "You're awfully happy today" He said as he straightened up, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

"I am happy to be at home." She paused before shifting her weight and curling up against his chest. "I am happy to be with you Tony." She shut her eyes and listened to the pounding of his heart. "For the first time…in years…I feel like I have a real family. Thank you Tony. I had never expected this for my life."

Tony wrapped his arms around her, careful of the bulky cast and sling that held her broken arm in an L-shape. He felt his heart begin to race as he realized the full implications of her words. "I'm happy to be with you too." He said softly as he thought about all of the things he loved about her…all the things he wanted to ask her. "Ziva…?" He questioned. "Will you…" He stopped as he heard her soft snores.

Tony sighed and dropped a gentle kiss on her head, holding her close and silently vowing to never let go of her again.

---

"I was unaware of Amit Hadar and Daniel Abijah's involvement with Officer Gidon." The newly appointed Director of Mossad spoke from the screen in MTAC to his audience of two.

"What will be done about this Noah?" Vance asked Director Ahmad as Gibbs watched the scene before him quietly, his eyes hard.

"I assure you Leon, we are opening an inquiry into any officers who have worked closely with any of the three in the past. Any officers found to be or to have been working in conspiracy with Hadar, Abijah, or Gidon with be appropriately disciplined. "

Vance nodded. "Thank you Noah. Say hi to your wife for me."

The director of Mossad nodded. "Shalom my friend. Agent Gibbs, how is Ziva? My daughter Maria is concerned. They used to play together as children. They were very close."

"Agent David is doing fine Director. Tell your daughter thank you for her concern." Gibbs said.

"I will. We will be in touch." The new director signed off.

"We gotta catch this bastard Jethro." Vance unwrapped a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth.

"Ya think Leon?" Gibbs snapped as he walked out of MTAC to rejoin his team.

---

"Ziva, come on, get up." Tony stroked her cheek, grinning when she sleepily opened her eyes. "Come on, get up sweet cheeks."

"What time is it my little hairy butt?" Ziva mumbled, letting her eyes slip closed again.

"0530, come on we're gonna be late." He pulled the blanket off of her.

She gasped as the cold air abruptly hit her. Sitting up gingerly, she pulled her shirt down to cover her exposed abdomen. She smacked his arm, always knowing where he was around her. "Do not do that. Why so early? It is our day off." She rubbed her shoulder. The cast was heavy.

"I want you to come with me somewhere."

She felt the bed move as he got up and she quickly followed suit. "Will we be outside?"

"Yes, and its cold."

Ziva nodded and walked her memorized path to her closet. She let her fingers slide over the different fabrics before selecting a sweater and pair of pants, turning around and holding them up for Tony to see. "This is my black sweater, yes?"

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, and your dark jeans." He walked over to her and helped her guide the sweater over her bulky plaster cast.

"I know." She said, the corner of her lips turning up into a smile. "Where are we going?" Ziva asked as she slipped the sling over her cast.

"You'll find out." He kissed her cheek and handed her her pants before getting himself dressed.

After draping her jacket over her shoulders, he took her hand and led her from the house.

Ziva felt the cold early morning late winter wind on her face as she and Tony walked through the streets of Springfield. "Are we going to the park?"

"Yeah." He grinned, always impressed by her situational awareness.

"Is it still dark?"

"Not for long. That's why we're out here. You once told me you love it when the sun rises." He felt her stop walking. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ziva smiled and reached up a hand to his cheek. "You remembered."

"How could I forget? I had always wanted to watch the sunrise with you, it just took me a while to realize how you would still be able to experience it. Come on, we're gonna miss it!" He laughed as they started walking again.

Tony looked at her out of the corner of his eye as they walked into the park. He felt his heart begin to pound when he saw the peaceful look on her face.

He led her to a hill and spread a blanket before helping her sit. He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's starting."

"What color?" Ziva whispered reverently.

"Purple…and it's not orange today. It's red."

"Sailor's warning." Ziva smiled and pulled his arms tighter around her.

"We should alert the Navy." Tony joked as he kissed her ear. "Wait for it…" He whispered.

"Tell me when you first see the sun." Ziva commanded.

Tony had to wait less than a minute before he saw the sun begin to peek over the horizon. "Now." He slipped her sunglasses over her eyes, as he watched the sun slowly rise into the sky.

Both were silent for a while as the sun made its ascent. The couple held onto each other, taking comfort in the other's presence.

"It is beautiful Ziva."

Ziva smiled softly and lay back against him, feeling the February sun on her face. "I remember."

* * *

Well there's chapter 19, hope you liked it. Please leave a signed review and I'll send you a sneak peak of Chapter 20. Oh, and let me know what you'd like to see in the story, and I'll try to work it in! (And yes, I know you all want Ziva to get her sight back, so other than that what do you want?) :-P And don't worry, you'll be happy with where the story goes ;-)


	20. Chapter 20

Thanks for all your reviews! And thanks to Wren for just being awesome!

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Chapter 20

"McGee, SIT REP." Gibbs ordered as he strode into the bullpen, coffee cup in hand.

"On…" McGee paused. _uhhhhh_. They weren't working a case. He wondered what there could be a report on. Then it came to him. "Oh! Still no sign of Gidon boss." McGee pulled up the security footage that he had spent the previous evening scanning. His efforts had been fruitless. There hadn't been any sign of Gidon in almost two months.

Gibbs looked up and saw Vance waving to him, he growled. "Just keep the program running McGee." He threw his cup in the trash and sprinted up the stairs, following Vance into MTAC.

McGee looked up from the computer when he heard the elevator doors slide open. Tony stepped into the large office, carrying a bag filled with cartons of take out Chinese food. McGee got up and walked to the other agent's desk, exchanging money for food. As he opened his Chinese he glanced up at Tony. "There's been no activity on Gidon's end for eight weeks. Do you think he just gave up? We haven't seen him since the raid."

Tony sat down at his desk, pushing his meal away. All of a sudden food lost its appeal. "Gidon has had the same training as Ziva. Do you think she'd just 'give up' Probie?" He snapped.

McGee shook his head. "Sorry." He said sincerely

Tony sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry too. I'm just stressed. This whole thing is just gettin' to me ya know?"

"Yeah... How is Ziva?"

"She's…"

"Right here." Both men looked up to see Ziva walking towards them with Abby and Miera.

"Ziva!" Tony shouted in surprise, spilling his coffee on his pants in his haste to get to her. "Shit! Ow!"

Abby felt Ziva tense up beside her. "It's okay." The goth said soothingly. "He just spilled his coffee."

"Oh." Ziva chuckled and walked over to the man who was quickly trying to mop up the hot brown liquid that was staining his pants. She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him up right. "That was very…graceful Tony." Her dull misty eyes twinkled and her voice filled with a light humor.

"Ziva what are you doing here? Aren't you still on medical leave?" He placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

"Abby drove me here. And the orth…the bone doctor... wanted to move my appointment. Look, no cast." She drew his attention to her bare arm.

Tony smiled and kissed her cheek. When he pulled back he received a slap to the back of his head.

"Not in the office DiNozzo." Gibbs said, appearing behind his agents.

"Yes boss." Tony answered automatically before turning to Ziva. "You heard the man, not in the office Ziva." His joke earned him a second slap to the head from his boss and a punch in the arm from his girlfriend. "How do you do that!" He rubbed his now throbbing arm. "It's not natural!"

"It is a skill Tony." Ziva walked over to her desk and turned on her computer. She put in an earphone and began checking her email. She continued to work as she heard Gibbs pick up his phone and have a brief conversation with the person on the other line before hanging up.

"Grab your gear and your toothbrush."

"Where to boss?" Tony asked, standing up and strapping on his gun.

"U.S.S. Tomahawk. Three dead."

Ziva looked up, listening closely to their conversation.

"Three?" McGee asked, getting his bag ready as well.

"We fly out at 1330." Gibbs looked around the bullpen, spotting the young woman who had sighed softly at his news. "You too Ziva."

Her head snapped back up.

"What?!" She and Tony asked at the same time. Her tone confused, his, surprised.

"There will be suspects on board who will need to be interrogated." Gibbs reminded them.

"Can't one of us just take care of it boss?" Tony didn't like the idea of Ziva being on the carrier. He didn't think it was safe.

McGee and Abby watched the tense scene unfold. They were waiting for the inevitable explosion from the Israeli caused by Tony's comment. To everyone's surprise, none came.

Ziva looked down, her shoulders hunched. "Tony is right Gibbs. It would be too much trouble for me to go with you. I would just…get in the way."

No one in the bullpen could believe their ears. Gibbs crossed over to her desk and slammed his hand down. She did not jump. "I gave you an order Ziva. Now gear up!"

Ziva nodded her head, his tone causing her to snap back to her Mossad motto; always follow orders. "Yes sir." She opened her desk drawer, reaching for her gun. She stopped, her hand hovering over the empty space remembering that there would be no weapon for her. She shut her eyes and bit her lip for a brief second as she collected her thoughts. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Shutting the drawer, she opened her eyes again and stood. "I will get my bag…Gibbs."

Ziva grabbed Miera's harness and started for the elevator. She was halfway there when she heard everyone begin to speak in hushed tones.

"She can't go Gibbs!" Tony hissed, earning himself another slap to the back of the head.

"She's my agent DiNozzo and I can use her as I see fit."

"Isn't Tony right though boss, we could just take care of the interrogations like we used to…you know, before the…accident." McGee winced as Gibbs' hand connected with the back of his head.

"Both of you are doubting her."

"You should be ashamed." Abby glared at them.

McGee gulped. "We don't doubt her boss, we're just worried. Right Tony?" Silence. "Tony?"

Tony stood frozen, looking at the woman who had turned to face them, her face a mask of sadness and defeat. "Ziva…" He said softly, realizing that she could hear them.

The woman in question held up a hand to stop him. She walked back over to the group. "Do not be angry with them Gibbs. They are right to doubt me." Her lips turned up in a sad smile, "I doubt me too."

* * *

Ah angst. Please review and I'll send you a sneak peak of chapter 21!


	21. Chapter 21

Happy MLK day to all! Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. Thanks to Wren for betaing! Enjoy!

* * *

Previously in "Seeing Isn't Believing": _"They are right to doubt me. I doubt me too."_

Chapter 21

There was a collective intake of breath by the assembled agents. No one had expected that comment. That loss of confidence in herself, it was incomprehensible. The concept of that was more unbelievable than Gibbs without coffee.

Hearing her words, Gibbs felt his blood begin to boil. "David. Elevator now." He ordered sharply.

From the tone of his voice, Ziva could tell that he was not pleased. She nodded, gesturing for Miera to lay down. She walked her memorized path to the elevator. A few seconds after Gibbs pressed the button, she heard the doors slide open and she stepped inside. She leaned against the cold elevator wall, bracing herself for his coming rant. The elevator came to a halt.

"What the hell are you doing Ziva?" Gibbs demanded, looking at the young woman who was standing in front of him. Her arms were crossed defensively over her chest. Her lips were a tight line and her eyes were dark.

"I am only being realistic Gibbs. Tony and McGee are right. Before all…all _this..._ we would all interrogate and it worked just fine. I really appreciate you creating this position for me, but it is time to face the truth. My sight is not coming back, and it is not fair to leave you down a team member."

"What are you saying Ziva?" Gibbs did not like where this was going. His gut told him that he had to put a stop to her thoughts.

Ziva's hand drifted towards the badge at her waist. Her hand stopped, shaking slightly. The thought of what she believed she needed to do was too hard to bear. "I do not know." She looked sad.

Gibbs took her hand, moving it away from her badge. "Don't you dare do this Ziver. You adjusted. You're doing so well. Don't slip away now." He told her firmly but kept the grip on her wrist light.

"I am tired of people pitying me Gibbs. I do not like pity."

"The only one who is pitying you, Ziva, is you. Now I thought you could handle this. Don't prove me wrong. I don't want to be disappointed in you." He watched the young woman closely.

Ziva sucked in a breath as his words struck home. She raised her head higher in defiance. Her jaw was set firmly and her look was determined. "Do not say that I am feeling sorry for myself Gibbs! I am not pitying myself!"

"You are Ziva!" He challenged her.

"No I am not!"

"Yes! You are." Gibbs lowered his voice and spoke to her gently. "Get it together Ziva. This isn't you."

Ziva paused, thinking about what he had said. She looked down, feeling like a little girl who was being reprimanded by her father. "I am sorry Gibbs." She said softly, knowing that he was right. A second later she felt his arms gently wrap around her.

"It's okay Ziver." Gibbs rubbed her back, reminding himself that beneath her stony exterior was a scared little girl; a young woman who had been dragged through hell and back too many times to count before she had even reached her thirtieth birthday. "It's okay."

---

Tony laced his fingers through Ziva's own as the plane took off. He used his thumb to caress the back of her hand as the plane sped down the runway. "Ziva?" He questioned once they were in the air.

"Yes?" She asked shortly.

"I'm sorry."

Ziva pulled her hand back and set it in her lap. "It is fine Tony."

"Is it?" He studied her closely as she turned her head towards him. The bags under her eyes were darker than they had been that morning. Her eyes carried a heavy sadness that he hated seeing there, especially when he was the one responsible for it.

"Yes Tony."

He reached for her hand again, but as soon as she felt his fingers brush her own, she jerked away. "Ziva…"

"What Tony!" She snapped, the sadness in her eyes quickly replaced with annoyance.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely, laying a gentle hand on her cheek. "I shouldn't have said what I did. We shouldn't have been talking about you behind your back. But just... please know... that what we did say, came out of concern and not out of doubt."

"You do not doubt me?" She questioned, unsure if she believed him.

Tony snorted and then choked, reminding himself that this was not an appropriate time to laugh. "Of course not. Never have, never will. For one thing I'm too scared of you and for another, I am scared of life without you." He smiled as he saw Ziva's lips turn up slightly. "So…am I forgiven?"

Ziva nodded. "Kiss me."

Tony chuckled. "You don't have to ask."

Ziva smirked. "I did not ask."

He smiled and leaned over, placing a light kiss on her lips before pulling back.

She moaned in disappointment as she felt the kiss end. "Tony…"

"Sorry Ziva, one second. I just have to find something."

The Israeli sat back as she heard him rummaging through his bag, wondering what it was that he was doing.

Sitting back up, he looked at her, grinning at the curious expression on her face. "So...uh…do you wanna marry me?"

Ziva's jaw dropped slightly, her eyes widening in shock. Suddenly, everything went quiet for her. Instead of the roar of the plane's engine she heard only the pounding of her own heart in her ears. Thousands of thoughts ran through her head but only one word escaped her lips. "Yes."

* * *

So, I hope ya'll liked that. Please review and let me know what you think! If you leave a signed review I'll send you a sneak peak of chapter 22!


	22. Chapter 22

Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter. That was the best response I have gotten yet! Once again, thanks to Wren for the beta!

* * *

Chapter 22

As Tony slipped a sparkling white gold engagement ring onto Ziva's finger, he felt a hand connect with the back of his head. He yelped in surprise. "What was that for boss!"

"What kind of a proposal was that DiNozzo. The girl deserves more." Gibbs was now standing behind the couple. He placed his hand on Ziva's shoulder.

Tony turned around, now aware of their audience. He looked back at Ziva, grinning at the rosy blush spreading on her cheeks.

"It is okay Gibbs." Ziva smiled. She looked happier than anyone had ever seen her.

Tony could feel his boss' blue eyes boring into him and he knew the man was right. "He has a point." He unbuckled his seatbelt and knelt on the hard floor of the plane. Taking her hand in his, he watched her intently. "Ziva…?" He questioned, pausing for effect, a goofy grin across plastered on his face.

"Yes?" She laughed, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears of joy.

"Will you marry me?" He questioned seriously, almost concerned that she had changed her mind in the last two minutes.

Ziva bit her lip and then smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she felt her heart swell. "Yes Tony. I will. I want to marry you." Using her other hand, she found his cheek and leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

After the kiss ended, Tony pressed his forehead to hers. He looked into her eyes that had surprisingly never clouded during the past five months. "I love you so much Ziva David."

"Get a room." McGee groused good naturedly. He was truly happy for his co-workers.

Tony and Ziva pulled apart, the smiles still on their faces. They put their seatbelts back on and prepared to land on the air craft carrier.

---

"Can I help you ma'am?" A young sailor looked at the exotic beauty before him. Her dark, curly hair was loosely framing her face. A glistening diamond was around the ring finger of her left hand. A distant look was in her dark eyes.

"Please." Ziva said thankfully. She had been wandering the ship for a half an hour, trying to find the rest of the team. "Have you seen the other NCIS agents?"

"Yes ma'am. They're just a couple of corridors that way." He pointed.

Ziva sighed. "I um…" She quickly waved a hand in front of her face, getting her thoughts together. "I cannot see." She stated. "Would it be too much trouble for you to take me to them?" As much as she despised asking for help, she knew it was what Tony and Gibbs would want her to do.

"Course not ma'am." The sailor said in his southern accent thick. He placed a guiding hand on her shoulder and started to lead her through the corridors. "Lieutenant Bradley Haynes."

"Special Agent Ziva David." Ziva offered, grateful for his help.

"Nice to meet you Agent David." He led her through the final corridor where they caught up with Tony and McGee.

Upon hearing their approach, Tony spun around. "Ziva! What are you doing out here?" He went over to her.

"Well I was hoping to do my job." She replied smartly. "However you left me in the room so I needed help finding you." She glared at him.

Tony looked at the man standing to her right. "Thank you Lieutenant."

"No problem sir." Lt. Hayes nodded his head and departed, leaving the three agents alone in the middle of the hall.

Tony looked down at the woman before him, frustration written on her face. "You're angry at me aren't you?"

"Yes."

Tony gulped, unsure of what to say, as McGee chuckled behind him. "I'm sorry?"

Ziva nodded her head. "You are forgiven. Now what is going on?"

"McGee?" Tony asked.

"Well, Gibbs is downstairs talking with the Captain and we were running some preliminary blood tests. It seems the sailors died of an overdose. However, at the crime scene it looks like the men voluntarily took the drugs. No sign that drugs were forced upon them."

"So we are looking for a drug dealer." Ziva nodded, taking mental notes. "Is anyone acting suspicious?"

"Not that we've seen." Tony admitted.

"How about you? On your walk around the ship did you see anything out of the ordinary?" McGee asked without thinking. He paused and looked up. "Oh crap…Ziva…"

She smiled and just shook her head, laughing. "It is okay McGee. And while I did not _see_ anything, I did hear two sailors speaking Spanish two decks down. They were discussing a…shipment from Veracruz."

McGee checked his PDA. "According to the carrier's shipment logs there were no imports made in Veracruz when they stopped there last week."

"Well, none of the legal variety McGee." Tony said, as the pieces began to fall into place with the information Ziva provided. "Ziva, what can you tell us about the men?"

"The one with a deeper voice spoke with more Ts than Ss. He also cut off his words when he spoke. It is characteristic of the Andalusian dialect, which is quite common in Spain, but is predominately spoken in the southern regions of the country." Ziva focused on replaying the voices in her head. "That one, it is his native language, he speaks it like I speak Hebrew. The other one, is a smoker, he had a deep voice, but not as deep as the first. It was rough though, probably from a pack a day habit. He was speaking the typical Mexican Spanish that is taught in your schools. I think he is probably an American."

Both men gawked at her. "Good work!" Tony gave her a hug, causing her to laugh.

"Your memory is amazing Ziva." McGee said, squeezing her arm. "I'll email Abby and get her to find the backgrounds of the men on the ship. Do you think you could take us to where you were when you heard them?"

Ziva nodded and started back down the hall. Her hand trailed along the wall, counting the doorways. Both men followed her in amazement as she led them down two flights of stairs and through various corridors. Her lips moved silently as she counted her steps and the doorways. Her face was screwed into a look of concentration. Ten minutes after they started, she stopped walking. "I was here, I was facing…" She turned slowly in a circle before stopping as she faced a porthole. "This way, I felt the cold air on my face and smelled the salt."

"This is amazing Ziva." McGee said as Tony stood silently in shock watching his new fiancée.

Ziva held up a hand to quiet him. "Their voices were behind me, and they were quiet, a whisper, so I could only make out some of the words." She turned around to face her teammates. "They were probably over there." She pointed to the left of Tony. "Maybe behind a partial wall. There was some sort of echo when they talked."

Both men turned around and looked at the area Ziva was pointing to. A small alcove was present, sunk into the metal walls of the ship. Tony walked into the space and looked around. "Ziva can you hear me?" He whispered.

"Yes." She called. "What is there?"

"A perfect spot for a private conversation." Tony was impressed and proud. "What else did you hear Ziva, or were they only talking."

"Um…" Ziva chewed her lip, thinking back several hours. She hadn't been paying strict attention to what was going on behind her because she had been enjoying the fresh air after having spent three hours on a stuffy plane. "There was this noise, like metal on metal, several quiet banging noises, and then the metal noise again, and then footsteps, I think the men walked away." Ziva felt her way over to where Tony was standing and McGee followed closely.

The men looked around the space, pulling on latex gloves. McGee spotted a grate and slowly pulled it open, a metallic screech filled the air. "Does that sound familiar?

Ziva nodded. "That was the first and last noise before they walked away. What is it?"

"Air vent." McGee got down on his knees and shined his flashlight into the space.

"What do you see Probie?" Tony demanded, placing a steadying hand on Ziva's shoulder as the boat rocked.

McGee crawled halfway into the space before backing out with a backpack held triumphantly in his hand. "I think Ziva found the pirates' treasure." He opened the sack and showed Tony the neatly packaged bricks of cocaine.

Tony laughed. "Way to go Ziva!" He gave her a hug.

She grinned happily up at him. "Now we just have to find the pirates."

* * *

Ah, good old casework. That was fun to write. Please leave me a signed review telling me what you think and I will snd you a sneak peak of chapter 23!


	23. Chapter 23

Hey all, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter! I sent out sneak peaks but I do not think that is sending out emails currently. My apologies to any of you who reviewed and did not have a sneak peak in your inbox. Hopefully TPTB will resolve this problem soon.

Thanks to Wren for being, as always, an awesome beta.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 23

Leaving the computer, McGee walked back to the team. "Abby emailed the list back. Two sailors were born in Spain, but only one grew up in the Andaluz region." McGee consulted his PDA, "Petty Officer Alejandro Endolas."

"She get anything with the fingerprints you scanned?" Tony asked, leaning against the hull. Ziva was sitting in a chair beside him.

"Fingerprints from the grate are a match and all of the fingerprints belonged to him. Seems his buddy didn't touch anything."

"Find him McGee. You two…" Gibbs said to Tony and Ziva. "With me."

"Where are we going boss?" Tony grabbed Ziva's hand, pulling her up from the chair and out of the room.

"For a walk. Ziva, keep your ears open, tell me if something sounds familiar."

"Our Mossad trained huntin' dog." Tony teased.

Ziva growled back and barked playfully at Tony. She began to laugh when she heard Gibbs' hand collide with Tony's head.

"She's an NCIS huntin' dog DiNozzo."

"Right boss."

Ziva rolled her eyes and listened closely to her surroundings. Not hearing a familiar voice, she continued walking until she felt Gibbs' hand on her shoulder. "Hold up." He answered his vibrating phone and talked for a minute before hanging up. "McGee says Endolas just signed into the gym."

"The gym is that way." Ziva pointed to her right. "I walked past it earlier." She offered an explanation and a shrug before they could ask.

Gibbs nodded. "Lead the way Agent David."

---

"Petty Officer Alejandro Endolas!" Gibbs called, expertly flashing his badge as he walked into the gym.

The men stopped lifting weights and turned to look at the trio. "Endolas." Gibbs repeated.

"Here sir." A tall, tan man walked over and stood at attention. "What can I do for you?"

"¿De dondé eres?" Ziva questioned, her Spanish perfectly accented.

"Soy de Andalucía Señora. Pero ahora soy Americano." He paused and switched into English. "What is this about?"

Ziva nodded her head. "It is him."

Taking the cue, Tony took his handcuffs out of his back pocket and placed them on Endolas' wrists, catching him off guard. "Well Americano, you're under arrest for the possession of illegal drugs and the deaths of Petty officers James Scott and Darin Hillsworth, as well as the death of Lieutenant Doug Masters.

"What are you talking about!" Endolas shouted, struggling against Tony's grip on his arms. "You got the wrong man."

"She heard you talking about your shipment form Veracruz sailor." Gibbs pointed to Ziva. "We got your fingerprints all over the air duct where we found your stash." Gibbs jabbed the man in the chest with his finger.

Endolas strained against the cuffs, glaring at Ziva. "Puta!"

"Esta puta sabe que usted no trabajaba solo." Ziva replied calmly.

"Who ya workin' with hombre? Tony questioned, pulling Endolas away from Ziva. "The judge might go easier on you if you give up your amigo."

Endolas grit his teeth, glaring at the assembled agents. "No sé Señor." He hissed, his eyes scanning the crowd of sailors.

"You don't know who you were talking to down on B deck by the air ducts, cause she heard both of you. Ziva?" Gibbs questioned, "If you heard the voice of his partner, could you confirm that it was them?"

"Of course."

"Can you tell if they're not speaking naturally?"

Ziva nodded in response, crossing her arms, her stance intimidating.

"Alright sailors, line up, you're all gonna talk to Agent David." Gibbs clapped her on the shoulder before taking Endolas from Tony. "I'll escort the Petty Officer here to the brig, where I'm sure he'll have company soon." Gibbs left to the tune of the grumbling sailors.

With Tony standing behind her, Ziva began speaking with the assembled officers, gesturing for them to leave when she was satisfied that they were not the culprit.

Tony watched as the line began to shrink. Looking around the room he saw one man break out of the line and head for the door. "Hey, you stop!" Tony jumped to his feet and ran towards the man, jumping over the weight wrack in his way.

Hearing Tony, the man began to run. He was stopped when Tony slammed him into the wall. "Where do you think you're going huh?" Tony looked down at the man's name tag. "Petty Officer Jenks?"

Rather than responding, Jenks bucked forwards, slamming his head into Tony's face, sending the agent sprawling to the ground. Spying Ziva before him, he picked up a free weight and held it in front of him. "Don't come any closer! I will hurt you." He shouted desperately.

Ziva looked unconcerned as she took another step towards the sound of his voice.

"Ziva, duck!" Tony shouted from his position on the ground as he saw Jenks begin to swing the weight like a bat.

Crouching down, Ziva swung her leg around, catching the Petty Officer in the back of the ankles, knocking his feet out from under him. When she heard him crash to the floor, she grabbed him and kneeled on top of him, pinning him to the floor. "Not smart. It is him."

"Get off of me!" Jenks shouted, struggling beneath Ziva.

Tony ran over and pinned Jenks down as Ziva climbed off of him. Hauling him to his feet, Tony slapped another pair of cuffs on him. "Assaulting federal officers, really not smart." Tony looked up as McGee ran into the room. "Hiya Probie, just in time, got another one for the bossman." He handed the prisoner off.

McGee looked from Tony's bloody nose, to Ziva's self satisfied grin, to the weights strewn across the floor and nodded. He was unable to comment on the scene before him. He took Petty Officer Jenks and silently left the room.

Ignoring the murmur of voices around him, Tony walked over to Ziva and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?" He looked her over.

She smiled. "Of course." Her smile faltered. "Are you?" She reached up and slid her fingers over his face, feeling the slick blood beneath his nose. "Tony, are you bleeding?" She questioned, her voice holding a hint of concern.

"I'll be okay." He grabbed a tissue and pinched his nose, using his other hand to hold Ziva's arm. "Come on, let's go home."

* * *

Well, there you have it. Please leave me a signed review telling me what you think and I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 24! Also please wish me luck :-D I have an organic chemistry exam in the morning.


	24. Chapter 24

Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. School got very crazy very quickly. Also, I have writer's block, so ideas are appreciated. Thank you for your reviews and thanks to Wren for betaing.

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Chapter 24

Fingers gliding softly over the black and white keys, a beautiful étude sounded from the elegant baby grand piano. Finishing the number with a chord reminiscent of a church organ, the performer lifted their hands from the keys, setting them delicately in their lap.

"That was beautiful my dear." Ducky laid a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

Ziva smiled shyly, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you Ducky. I have not played in so long." Ziva ran her fingers over the keys, playing a progression of scales.

Invited over to the Medical Examiner's house for afternoon tea, Ziva had found the piano as she was feeling her way to the bathroom. Memories of childhood recitals flashed through her mind as she had sat on the padded bench and began playing a song she had learned at the age of sixteen.

As he watched her hands progress smoothly up and down the keyboard, Ducky spotted the shining ring on her left fourth finger. He smiled, his heart filling with joy for the young woman who sat before him. "Ziva…" He called softly.

She stopped playing and turned to face him. "Yes Ducky?"

"I believe you have something you want to share with me?" He tapped her ring finger lightly. "I am surprised that Abigail did not inform me of this."

Ziva chuckled. "Abby was very…ecstatic, but she respected my desire to tell you myself."

Ducky smiled and gave her a hug, kissing the top of her head. "Congratulations my dear girl." He helped her up from the piano bench and led her to the couch. He then placed her cup of tea in her hands. "I am sure that Abigail is already planning your wedding."

Ziva nodded as she took a sip of her tea, enjoying the feel of the warm liquid running down her throat. "She has insisted that we go look at dresses or…I guess in my case, feel dresses." Ziva sighed. "Ducky, how long will it be before I forget what the colors other than black look like?"

"Oh Ziva…" Ducky sighed and moved closer to her, taking the cup of tea out of her hands. He held her slender hands gently. "Ziva it is hard to say. You may forget or you may not. Because you do not perceive light, there is no way to know if you've truly forgotten. Have you forgotten what we look like?"

Ziva shook her head. "Of course not. I could never forget you Ducky." She gave a small genuine smile, and reached up, feeling for and straightening his bowtie. "Nor Abby, she is too…unique. And so are McGee, Gibbs, and Tony. No, I will always remember your faces."

"Then you will not forget your colors Ziva. Just think of me with my blue bowtie, and McGee's horrible yellow jacket. Red is Abby's Caf-Pow and green…"

Ziva smiled softly, cutting the doctor off. "I will never forget green Ducky." She picked up her steaming cup of tea again and sat back, remembering the piercing green eyes of the man she loved. The man she would be spending the rest of her life with.

---

"I don't know Tony. I think the movie is really unrealistic." McGee interrupted Tony's explanation of the Terminator movies.

"That's the point McKilljoy. It's science fiction." Tony snapped, irritated. "Right Ziva?"

"All I heard was lots of screaming and explosions." She shrugged. "I still do not know what was going on in the movie."

McGee laughed. "See Tony, two against one."

Tony grumbled. "You're supposed to take my side Zee-vah."

"If the movie had an appreciable plot line, I would have. Dialogue even." She tapped her ear and winked at him, before placing her hands back on the keyboard.

Tony threw a paper ball at McGee, wiping the self satisfied smirk off of the younger agent's face. Before McGee could react, Gibbs exited the elevator.

"McGee, with me." Gibbs said as he ran up the stairs to MTAC. McGee got up from his computer and followed without question.

Tony looked after them curiously, wondering what was going on. He looked across the bullpen at Ziva. "What do you think Gibbs is taking McGee to MTAC for?"

Ziva shrugged again. "I am sure that we will be told if it is important."

---

Leading McGee into MTAC, Gibbs found Abby and the Director waiting for them as promised. McGee and Abby shared confused glances before looking towards their superiors. "What's going on boss?" McGee asked.

"Gidon has been seen in Israel. The director of Mossad informed me that he has teams scouring the country." Vance said. "However, neither I nor Director Ahmad believe that Gidon is still in the country."

"Why couldn't they catch him when they found out he was there?"

"Gidon took out two officers Agent McGee."

"Then what…"

Vance cut him off. "But not before they were able to radio in that Gidon now has ties to a Serbian militant group that has committed known acts of terrorism."

Gibbs continued, "Sec. Nav. has ordered that we not take him down until we can take out the Serbian cell as well."

"That is where you and Ms. Scuitto come in Agent McGee." Vance finished. "Gidon doesn't know you two. Director Ahmad has informed me that he believes Gidon is flying to LA. Once this is confirmed you two will be flying to LAX and tagging his bag. You are not to take him out. Do you understand?"

"But Ziva deserves…" McGee started to argue.

"I know what Agent David deserves McGee. And in time, Gidon will be brought down. But we have orders and they are to be followed." Vance nodded his head, signaling that the conversation was over. He turned and swiftly left the room.

Both Abby and McGee turned to Gibbs but before they could speak, he raised a hand, silencing them. "Before you both go asking 'why me' let me explain. Abby, you will not be undercover, you will be in the LAX security office, keeping an eye on everything and letting McGee know what is going on." Gibbs saw Abby visibly relax. "McGee, I don't need to explain. You're an agent."

"Yeah boss, but Tony's better undercover." McGee winced as Gibbs' hand collided with the back of his head.

"It is time for you to learn Tim. And also, Tony is Ziva's fiancé. Don't ya think he would just take out Gidon for what he did to her, regardless of the mission?"

"Yeah, well I kinda want to too boss." McGee admitted truthfully.

"Me too." Abby piped up.

"Wouldn't you?" McGee questioned.

Gibbs ignored the question and continued explaining the situation. "But you won't. You both know Ziva would want you to neutralize a threat that could claim many lives. You both also know that you will not speak a word about this to either Tony or Ziva. Understand?"

Both nodded and McGee added an affirmative, "Yes boss."

"Good. Both of you go home, pack your bags and wait for my call." Gibbs gave Abby a hug before opening the door to usher the pair out of MTAC. Catching McGee's arm, he pulled the younger agent aside. "Just so we're clear, I want the bastard dead too McGee."

* * *

Well there you have it :-D More fun times again. Also, still having writer's block so help is much appreciated! Please leave a signed review and I will send you a sneak peak of the next chapter (which is already written, but after that, I am blocked)


	25. Chapter 25

Hey guys, I know, I suck for not updating in forever. Hopefully this chapter will make up for that. School's been hectic and I still have writer's block so any help is appreciated. Thanks to Wren for betaing!

* * *

Chapter 25

"Umm Abby…Okay Abby come on. Do I really have to wear that. Really?"

"Yes McGee, really. Now hold still." Abby lined McGee's eyes with an a jet black eye pencil. "Gidon only saw you once, but we can't take any chances. Now, hold still!" She growled as he blinked.

"Ow! You stabbed my eye." McGee jerked back when she was done. He turned around to look at himself in the mirror, taking in his all black wardrobe, gelled hair, lined eyes, and doc martens. "I look like a freak!"

"Excuse me!" Abby narrowed her eyes at him.

McGee turned around, a sheepish look painted across his face. "Sorry Abs. Are you sure this won't make me stand out though?"

"McGee, you're gonna bump into him and tag his bag, it's LA, you'll fit right in. Now go." She grinned and opened the door of the LAX security booth. She shoved McGee out into the busy airport before turning back to the monitors and watching the new arrivals.

---

"How about this one Ziva?" Tony placed a wedding ring in Ziva's open palm and closed her fingers around it. He watched as she felt it. "It's really nice."

Ziva sighed and used her other hand to fumble around for his. Finding it, she placed the ring in his palm. "Tony they all feel the same to me. Round." She dropped her hand from his. "You pick. I am confident that you will make a good decision." She offered him a half smile.

Tony reflexively gave a small smile back before dropping a kiss on her temple. "Okay Z." He whispered gently. He looked back at the rings in the Tiffany's display. "Do you want gold, white gold, or platinum?" He was startled to feel his bride-to-be tense up beside him. "Ziva?"

"Tony, just make a choice okay? I do not remember what those colors look like anymore." Her voice was firm but her gaze was sad. She took a breath. "Please pick your favorite Tony. I am just happy to be with you."

Wordlessly, Tony pointed out the white gold band to the jeweler before pulling Ziva into his arms. He pressed a kiss into her hair. "I'm sorry." He murmured, surprised when Ziva pulled away.

"Never apologize. It is a sign of weakness." She tried to sound angry but instead an exhausted tone filled her voice. "I just need a minute. I am sorry Tony." She started to walk away from him, a hand held out in front of her.

"Ziva, you don't have Miera." Tony started to walk after her.

Ziva stopped walking and turned around to face him. "I am fine…Tony." She turned around to start walking again, catching her shoulder on the doorjamb. She hissed in pain, the impact jarring her still healing arm.

"Ziva!" Tony closed the distance between them with two quick strides. He carefully turned her around and gently rubbed her arm. "Are you okay?" He continued to rub her arm as he looked her over. Sorrow quickly swallowed his heart as he saw the embarrassed blush flush her cheeks and the sadness fill her dark brown eyes.

"I thought I was getting better." She whispered softly, the sadness in her voice mirrored that of in her eyes.

Tony sighed and pressed a kiss to her widow's peak. As he smoothed her hair away from her face he spoke to her gently, "You are Ziva. You are so strong, and so beautiful, and so perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you."

"I am blind." She stated simply, shutting her eyes, her features troubled. "Surely you do not want to spend the rest of your life with someone who cannot even walk through a door properly."

He reached up with his thumbs and smoothed out her eyelids. "Ziva, I don't love you based on whether you can see or not. I love you because of who you are. My crazy ninja chick who can kill me eighteen different ways with a paperclip, yet somehow, cannot master American idioms. My tough as nails warrior who is also the sweetest, most caring person I know. You make me so happy Ziva David. That is why I want to marry you. And then for the rest of our lives I can try to make you as happy as you have made me."

Upon hearing his words, Ziva smiled softly and leaned into him. She tucked her head under his chin, listening to his heartbeat. "You make me happy."

---

McGee strode confidently through the LAX D terminal following the directions directed by Abby through the ear-bud in his ear. "You're coming up on him Timmy. See him yet?"

"Not yet Abs." McGee whispered, looking towards the new arrivals. "You sure this will work?"

"Am I ever wrong Timmy? See him?"

"Got him." McGee replied, seeing a man matching the alias Gidon had used while traveling between DC and Tel Aviv.

"Go."

McGee started towards his target, head bobbing to a song that no one else could hear. He strutted fast, seemingly not paying attention to where he was going. As he neared the terrorist he amped up his rocker boy persona and crashed into him, causing Gidon's bag to fall to the ground.

"_Lezazl!_ Watch where you are going you fool!" Gidon shouted at the punk who walked into him.

"Woooaaaaah sorry dude." McGee said, his words slurred in a faux, drug induced haze. "My bad." He picked up Gidon's bag, sticking the carefully disguised tracker on it. "Here's your bag dude."

Gidon snatched it from him, a hate filled glare on his face. "Hands off, you American trash." He hissed, brushing past McGee to continue his walk through the airport.

McGee watched him go for a minute before heading back to Abby's security booth. "Got it Abs."

Abby laughed. "Way to go McRockstar!"

---

"Ziva...Ziva…Zee-vah." Tony whispered from his desk as he watched his partner type on her computer.

"What Tony?" Ziva snapped, fixing a glare in his general direction.

He laughed triumphantly, "So you can hear me!"

"Of course I can Tony." Ziva stood up and walked across the bullpen to his desk. Propping herself up on his side of the desk, she reached out for him, hands landing on his shoulders. She smiled to herself as she dusted off his shoulders and then let her hands travel to his tie. She straightened it before reaching up and lightly slapping his cheek.

"What was that for!" He asked.

"You were looking sloppy my little hairy butt." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You can't even see me." He objected.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Vision or not Tony, I know everything. Do not forget that." She kissed his cheek again and winked at him before strutting back to her desk.

* * *

Please leave a signed review and let me know what you think and I'll send you a sneak peak of chapter 26 once it gets written. (Ideas are extremely appreciated!)


	26. Chapter 26

Hello folks, I apologize for the long hiatus this fic has endured. Now that summer is here, I plan to update regularly, my beta is pretty busy right now so I may not get a chapter up again until next week, but fear not, something is coming. Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter, and thanks to Wren for betaing this one. So here goes, chapter 26...

* * *

Chapter 26

"Abby?" Ziva questioned as she walked into the lab. "You called?" She listened, hearing nothing but the whirling of machines. "Abby? Are you in here?"

Ziva heard the clunk of Abby's platform boots approaching from behind her. She turned around to face the noise "There you are." The Israeli smiled.

"Here I am." Abby agreed, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the lab. "Alright Ziva." Her tone was serious. "We have a lot to talk about."

Once Abby let go of her hand, Ziva crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Have I done something?"

"No, that's the problem. You're getting married and you still haven't planned anything!"

"We have a date set…but other than that…" She shrugged a shoulder. "I have not really thought about it."

Abby's eyes went wide and she gasped theatrically, "Ziva! How can you have not thought about it? No dress? No food? No wedding song? No flowers? No cake? You can't have a wedding without cake Ziva! It's like... impossible!"

Furrowing her brow, Ziva looked towards the overly enthusiastic forensic scientist who she could practically feel vibrating with energy. "I… um…Is that tradition for an American wedding?"

Although Abby knew that Ziva wouldn't see it, she allowed her jaw to drop as she stood speechless for about ten seconds before getting her thoughts together. "Okay…you and I have a lot to talk about. We need to pick out a dress, music, food…a location…"

"Do not forget the cake." Ziva teased.

"Oh I haven't! Okay so I'll start contacting people and I'll bring you the information." Abby started typing furiously on the computer.

"Woah Abby, hold on." Ziva placed her hand on top of Abby's flying fingers. "Are you sure Tony would be comfortable with all of this?"

Abby paused and turned to look at the woman beside her. "Ziva, it's the bride's wedding…besides…if we get him involved with the planning, you'll end up with some James Bond themed wedding."

Ziva scrunched her nose and shook her head, not liking what Abby was suggesting. "Okay, no Tony in the planning." She placed her hands on Abby's shoulders. "My wedding is in your capable hands. I need someone to be my eyes on this and there is no one better I could think of than you. So since we are doing this all out, be my maid of honor yes?"

Ziva heard a high pitched squeal and could only guess what the scientist was doing before she was embraced in a tight bear hug. "Yes. Yes. Yes!" Abby shouted happily, squeezing the other woman.

Ziva laughed as all the air was forced from her lungs. She patted Abby on the back good naturedly, waiting to be released. "Thank you Abby." Ziva was freed from her human straight jacket when Abby's Mass Spectrometer and her own cell phone beeped simultaneously. She chuckled as Abby released her. "Back to work."

* * *

"Take cover!" Gibbs shouted as shots rang out through the warehouse. The three agents dove behind crates before returning fire.

After felling their attackers, Gibbs stood, holstering his weapon. "Status!" He shouted, getting his agents' attention.

"All good." McGee said, standing and quickly putting the safety back on his service weapon.

"Uh…not good." Came Tony's reply from behind a wooden box. The other agents could hear the pain in his voice and ran over.

"DiNozzo, I did not give you permission to get shot." Gibbs said, dropping to his knees and pressing his hands to the bullet wound in Tony's left thigh as McGee lifted his phone to his ear to request medical assistance.

"I know Boss. This one's on me." He slapped himself on the back of the head.

Completing his call, McGee hung up and leaned over by Tony. "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"Well, someone's gotta have one on this team Probie…Sorry Boss." Tony looked at the man who was fashioning a tourniquet around his leg. He clenched his fists in pain, his knuckles turning white as Gibbs tightened the makeshift bandage. "Thanks Boss." Tony said, the pain he was feeling was audible in his voice.

Gibbs nodded. "Your girlfriend isn't going to be too happy that you went and got yourself shot up."

Tony shook his head and looked down at the blood soaked bandage. "No…she won't."

* * *

"WAIT. WHAT! IS HE OKAY!.... okay…. Yes, but… So he is okay? Okay Gibbs. I'll let her know." Abby wrapped up the call as she felt someone walk up behind her. "Ziva?" She questioned.

"Let me know what?" Ziva said from behind the scientist. She felt the woman before her turn around and place a gentle hand on her arm. Ziva instinctively sensed her hesitation. "Abby? What is it?"

"Tony was shot in the thigh at the crime scene. He's at Georgetown. Don't worry, he's okay. Okay?" Abby tried to keep her friend calm but soon realized her efforts weren't needed.

Ziva nodded, she felt her heart quicken in fear but she kept her voice and features calm. "So we will go to the hospital yes?"

"Yeah…" Abby was confused by her seeming lack of concern. "Come on." She took Ziva's arm and led her to the car.

As they drove to the hospital, Abby stole glances at her companion. Ziva's posture was straight and her face was passive. Abby felt her blood begin to boil as she observed Ziva's seemingly uncaring demeanor. Having enough, she pulled over to the side of the road and stopped her car, turning to face her passenger. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ziva jumped, surprised at the sudden outburst. "What?"

"I just told you your fiancé was shot and you're as calm as if I had only told you the weather. It's like you don't care."

"I do care Abby. I care a lot. But what good would it do anyone for me to freak out?" Ziva tried to repress the flood of hurt that was threatening to spread across her face. She faced the window again, Abby's words echoing through her head. She flashed back to a similar conversation from a few years prior when Abby had accused her of not caring that Gibbs had been in an explosion. Shaking her head to dispel the negative memories she could feel Abby's eyes still on her. She turned to face the other woman, waiting for the onslaught to begin anew.

Abby took a deep breath. "What the hell is your problem Ziva?" She asked again, her voice raised an octave. "Tony has done so much for you this past year. Don't you think you owe it to him to show a little concern? Or do you think you are exempt from normal human emotion and behavior now that you are blind…Not that you were very good at it to begin with. Are we all just here to serve you now?"

Ziva felt a chill course through her veins as she registered the Goth's words. This time she couldn't keep the humiliated blush from reddening her cheeks. "I…I am sorry that I have made you feel that way Abby. It will not happen again." She pursed her lips and faced the passenger side window again.

Abby saw the hurt flash through Ziva's sightless eyes before the Israeli had looked the other way. "Ziva…" She said, starting to feel guilty.

Ziva tensed, trying to prepare herself for more harsh words. "Yes?"

Abby sighed, "I'm sorry. I really don't think that way. I just over reacted like I normally do…"

Ziva held up a hand to stop her. "It is fine Abby. Trust me, I know that I am a burden on Tony and the team. You have my word that it will not continue. Now can we please go to the hospital?"

Abby nodded, looking at her friend sadly, knowing that Ziva could not see how truly sorry she was. Starting the car again, she drove the rest of the way to the hospital.

* * *

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I will send you a sneak peak of chapter 27!


	27. Chapter 27

Wow, thank you guys so much for your reviews on the last chapter! Thanks to Wren for betaing. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 27

"Hey Z!" Tony grinned when he spotted his fiancée in the doorway of his hospital room.

"Hey." She raised a hand in greeting, her voice cracking as she walked to him. She found his face with her hands and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "What mess did you get yourself into this time?" Her voice was soft and filled with emotion.

"It's just a flesh wound." He said with a cheeky grin and a cheesy British accent.

She laughed, tears filling her eyes. "Of course you would quote movies to me at a time like this." She leaned towards him and allowed him to guide onto the raised platform.

"Quoting movies is my thing sweet cheeks." He turned his and examined her closely, noticing her tear-filled eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Isn't that the question I should be asking you?" She replied, laying her head on his shoulder, careful of his wounded leg.

"My answer is 'I'm fine.' Now you answer the question." He continued to study her features.

Sighing she placed a hand on his chest and let her eyes close. "I am well Tony, just worried about you." She said quietly.

"Don't worry about me. I'm great." He said, stroking her hair. "What's wrong Ziva?" He could feel the sadness radiating off of her.

Ziva raised her head slightly and offered him a small smile. "Nothing is wrong. You just scared me. You know how I always like to know what is going on. So do not do it again. Or else! Got it?" Her smile widened and she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Okay Z. I got it." He smiled at her before pulling her closer. "Lets sleep for a bit and then maybe we can get out of here."

She nodded and snuggled into his side before falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

At home the next morning, Tony woke up to the feel of cold sheets beside him. "Ziva?" He propped himself up on his elbows and looked around the dim bedroom.

"Just a second Tony!" He heard her shout from another part of the apartment. A minute later she walked into the bedroom holding a tray with eggs and coffee. "Hungry?"

"Starving. You didn't have to do this though." He guided her hands to set the tray on his lap before leaning in to kiss her.

She smiled against his lips before sitting on the bed and resting against his shoulder. "You always made me breakfast in bed when I was laid up and I wanted to return the favor. How is your pain today? Do you need anything?"

"You." He looked at her, putting on his best puppy dog eyes, knowing she would sense it.

Chuckling, she reached up and patted his cheek. "Eat up my little hairy butt."

"Aw Z, you wouldn't deny a wounded man some love would ya?"

She leaned in and kissed him again. "I love you Tony DiNozzo. Now eat your eggs before they get cold. I am going to get in the shower and then we will see about getting you a bath. How does that sound?"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Tony said excitedly, his mouth full of eggs.

Ziva laughed lightly again before climbing off the bed and walking gracefully to the bathroom, leaving Tony to his meal.

* * *

Stepping off the bus with Miera, Ziva took a moment to gather herself before walking into NCIS. She sat at her desk and listened to her surroundings, realizing that she was the first person in the bullpen. After letting Miera off her leash so the lab could take a nap by her mistresses' feet, Ziva started her computer and checked her email until she heard McGee stop in front of her desk.

"Ziva, how'd you get here?" McGee questioned, knowing Tony wasn't coming in today.

"I took the bus." She replied nonchalantly, closing out of her email.

McGee sighed, "You could have called me."

She offered him a small smile. "Thank you Tim, but I am okay. I do not want to be any trouble."

"You're no trouble at all Ziva."

Ziva was saved from responding to McGee's comment by Gibbs' entrance into the bullpen. "McGee, gear up. Dead Marine at Quantico. Ziver, wait for my call."

Ziva nodded and went back to work as she heard the men leave in the elevator. She focused on a case report that she was writing for a few minutes before the elevator opened again and she heard the clunk of familiar platform boots. She listened as the footsteps approached and stopped in front of her desk.

"You must hate me right about now huh Ziva?" Abby asked loudly, placing her hands on her hips.

Ziva quickly sat up and faced the scientist, surprised by the non-traditional opening line. "I do not hate you Abby." She replied truthfully.

"You didn't call me to pick you up like you normally do when Tony isn't coming in. How'd you get here?" Abby's voice held a slightly accusing tone.

"I took the bus."

"You never take the bus Ziva."

"Well I am starting to. It will enable me to stop having to rely on everyone for transportation." Ziva kept her voice and face calm but her eyes couldn't help but betray her, showing the hurt she was really feeling. She heard Abby sniffle.

"Ziva you know I really didn't mean all of those horrible things I said the other day." Abby wiped her eyes on her sleeve, leaving black mascara streaks across the white sleeve. "I'm really really sorry."

"Abby it is fine okay? Please just drop it." She pinched the bridge of her nose, shutting her eyes tiredly.

"I hurt you."

"You only confirmed what I was already thinking Abby. I am aware of the situation okay? Palmer's with Tony today so I came into work so that they could have a movie-fest or whatever it is they do. I am making sure Tony is eating well and resting and I am monitoring his pain. He is comfortable and happy." The Israeli opened her eyes and placed her hands back on the keyboard. She was surprised to feel Abby pulling her to her feet. "What Abby? I really need to finish this report."

"You need a break." Abby tugged the reluctant woman along with her into the elevator, stopping the box between floors.

Ziva leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. She looked tiredly in Abby's direction. "What do you want me to say?"

Abby sniffled again. "I want you to say that you don't think you're a burden on us."

Ziva snorted humorlessly. "I am a realist Abby. I know that I am not as useful now that I am blind and I know that Tony does a lot for me… I DO appreciate it a lot. He is what has made me want to keep living since all this has happened. When you told me he was shot, my heart stopped. I was so scared. I wanted to freak out and cry and scream but I knew that would delay me getting to him." She ran a hand over her face and leaned further into the wall of the elevator.

With that motion Abby realized how exhausted her friend looked. "Ziva…You're falling apart…" The scientist walked over and placed a gentle hand on her arm and another one on her cheek. "I will do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness for those horrible, horrible things I said to you in the car. And to make you realize that you are the most valuable member of this team. When you were missing in Somalia, we fell apart. Especially Tony…please…"

Ziva couldn't stop her tears from spilling over. She nodded her head, leaning into the other woman as she felt her arms surround her. "Thank you." She whispered, letting her head rest tiredly on Abby's shoulder.

* * *

"McGee, update on Gidon." Gibbs said after he pulled the younger man into MTAC.

"NCIS agents stationed near Serbia have eyes on him boss. His tracker is still active and intel from the area does not suggest that he has plans to move anytime soon." McGee used the remote to call up aerial views of the Serbian camp. "Maybe he's forgotten about Ziva Boss. Maybe she's safe now." He said hopefully.

Gibbs shook his head, stepping closer to the giant screen to better examine the surveillance photos. "No McGee. She's not going to be safe until that bastard is dead."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a signed review letting me know what you think, and I'll send you a sneak peak for chapter 28!


	28. Chapter 28

Hello everyone. Thank you for your reviews on the last chapter. And, as usual, a round of applause to my wonderful beta Wren who makes this readable!

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 28

"Oh sooo pretty!" Abby squealed and clapped her hands excitedly, leaning forward in her chair at the bridal boutique.

Ziva stepped out of the dressing room in her fifth dress of the day, "You think so?" She asked. She turned in a slow circle, to show the scientist all sides of the wedding gown, enjoying the feeling of the cool silk brushing her legs.

"Yes! And it looks beautiful on you. It's perfect. I think we've found the right one. You should get it."

Ziva stopped turning and ran her hands over the dress, feeling the intricate beading of the bodice and the smooth silk of the train. She nodded her head. "It feels nice."

"Nice? That's all you can say?" Abby laughed. "It's gorgeous on you Ziva, you look like a princess!"

Ziva smiled and then sighed. "I wish I could see for myself, but if you say it is perfect, then I believe you and I will get it. Abby?" She paused, chewing her lip. "Can you do one favor for me?" She looked towards her maid of honor.

"Yeah, of course Z." Abby walked over to the bride-to-be and took her hand, studying the pensive look on the young woman's face.

"Will you wear a green dress as my Maid of Honor? I mean…I know in the long run, colors will not matter because I cannot look back on these pictures. But as of now, I remember the color green, and so maybe I can create wedding pictures in my head…I do not know…It is silly." She shook her head, feeling embarrassed.

Abby looked at reddening cheeks of the woman before her and noticed her own vision blur as her eyes began to water. She pulled Ziva into a tight embrace. "Ziva, I will wear anything you want me to." She sniffled.

"Abby…" Ziva placed a hand on the older woman's cheek, feeling how the warm skin was slick with tears. "Why are you crying?" She asked softly, hearing another sniffle come from her friend.

"Because it's not fair. You deserve to be happy." The Goth tried to stop her quivering lip as she leaned into Ziva's soft palm.

The Israeli's gaze softened and she pulled Abby into a hug. "I am happy. I am marrying the man I love." She chuckled, her eyes lighting up happily. "I never saw myself doing that. And…while I will not actually get to see myself get married in the literal sense, I am actually getting to do something that I never dreamed of. I am happier now than I ever have been in my entire life." She bestowed a smile on her friend. "I have a real life now."

Looking at her friend with wet eyes, Abby could see the truth in Ziva's words. "I'm so happy for you Ziva." She sniffed again and wiped her eyes, beaming at woman in white while she tried to regain her composure. "And the dress is gorgeous. You really need to get it. It will drive Tony nuts."

Ziva grinned and ran her hands over the dress again. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Abby stated adamantly. "This is your dress." She laid a gentle hand on Ziva's bare upper arm. "You have never looked more beautiful than you do at this moment."

* * *

"Take it easy on that leg DiNozzo." Ziva demanded when she heard her fiancé limp into the living room.

"I am taking it easy sweetcheeks." He said, wincing as he lowered himself to the couch beside her.

She turned to face him, her look disbelieving. "Well, it sounds like you are rushing the healing process."

He grumbled good naturedly, "So says the woman who went back to work a week after she went blind." He said teasingly, nudging her side. "How's the Braille reading coming?"

"Slowly." She groused, scrunching her nose and laying her head on his shoulder. "I do not get it. I speak ten languages but cannot learn to read this." She gestured to the book in her lap.

Tony cast a glance at the series of raised dots on the pages. "It looks confusing." He agreed.

"It is. I miss reading Tony." She sighed wistfully

He looked at her sadly and stroked her hair. "Want me to read to you Z?" He offered, enjoying the smell of her apple blossom shampoo.

Lifting her head, she looked at him, a sparkle in her eyes. "You would do that for me?"

"Yup, I will read any girly book you want me to read." He chuckled as he stood and limped over to the collection of her books that had somehow migrated to his movie shelf when they merged apartments, Tony ignoring Ziva's requests to 'give the books away.' "What do you want to hear my little ninja?"

She laughed happily, "There should be a book with a red cover on the shelf, with a bookmark in it."

Looking over the numerous hard and paperback books, Tony found the requested novel. As he slid it from its spot and studied the cover, he felt a happy warmness come over him. "Hey, I gave this to you." He smiled and walked back over to her.

She smiled softly. "I know. I was reading it when…You know…" She gestured to her eyes. "I really want to know what happens."

Tony chuckled and opened the book to the marked page before pausing and going back to the beginning. "It's been almost a year, let's start over."

"You are the best Tony." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Squeezing her hand affectionately he pulled her close. "Let's find out what happened."

* * *

So there you go folks, a little fluff, a little plot development, we are rapidly approaching the wedding so stay tuned! Reviewers get a sneak peak of the next chapter! Also, stay posted, in a few days I will be posting the first chapter of my new fic; "I Have Had Worse."


	29. Chapter 29

Hello all, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. You're the best! So I am going on vacation (meaning a very long plane ride) and will be working on this fic. I think there are a few chapters needed to finish telling the story. Thanks again to my wonderful beta Wren, who made this understandable!

* * *

Chapter 29:

The sound of footsteps interrupted his dreams as he awoke in the dim room. "What are you doing Ziva?" Tony looked over at the woman who was going to be his wife in less than twelve hours. He watched her pace tirelessly around their bedroom at six in the morning.

Ziva sighed and sat down on the bed. She ran a hand through her tangled curls. "Freaking out."

He looked up at her, noting the worry lines etched into her brow. He frowned, "You never freak out." He laid a concerned hand on the small of her back, rubbing it in soothing circles.

"I know!" She leapt to her feet and resumed her pacing. "That is part of the reason I am freaking out!"

He chuckled, propping himself up on his elbow to get a better look at her. "And the other reason?" He questioned. He could almost see tracks worn into the carpet by her steadily moving feet.

"Are you sure you want to marry me? I mean really sure?" She stopped and faced him, chewing nervously on her lip.

Tony untangled himself from the bed sheets and got to his feet. He put his hands on her upper arms, caressing small circles with his thumbs. "Hmmm Z…I dunno…" He leaned in and kissed her once lightly before he pulled her into his arms and gave her a slightly longer, deeper kiss. "What do you think?" He whispered breathlessly as he watched her lick her swollen lips.

She smiled, her eyes twinkling as she felt his warm breath on her face. "I may need just a little more convincing…"

He chuckled, observing how the worry lines disappeared from her face, "Well, I have been told that I'm pretty persuasive." He grinned as he closed the remaining space between them. Once again pressed his lips to hers as a dark shadow passed unnoticed outside their window.

* * *

Tony looked in the mirror. He was straightening his bowtie in the groom's suite at the hotel when he heard the door open and shut behind him. "That you Probie?"

"Yeah." McGee walked up beside him. "Nervous."

"A DiNozzo nervous?" Tony scoffed and turned to face his friend. "…I'm terrified." He replied quickly

McGee laughed, clapping a hand on the groom's shoulder. "Relax DiNozzo. She said yes when you asked her to marry you. You are in love. There is nothing to worry about."

"What if she says no?" Tony licked a hand and smoothed down the cow-lick on the back of his head frantically.

McGee laughed again, amused at this new side of his friend. "Tony, it's Ziva. You two are the weird, somewhat scary, perfect match." He paused, looking at Tony more closely, "You know…if you think her going blind has affected just her, then you couldn't be more wrong. You too were a wreck. But somehow, you fixed each other and now you are both happier than ever. She still can't see, but our team is back to normal. Back to how we were before Somalia. Back to how we were before Vance split us up."

"Gee McSentimental, way to be mushy." Tony's hands dropped to his sides and his posture relaxed. "Thanks Tim." He smiled at his best man.

"Don't mention it. Just get out there." McGee shoved him towards the door. "It's time to get this show on the road."

* * *

Abby squealed and clapped her hands as she bounced into the bridal suite. "Ziva, you're gorgeous!" She skipped to the silk encased bride-to-be and wrapped her arms around her.

Ziva laughed and patted her back. "I have to admit Abby, I am starting to become very nervous." The Israeli stated with a slight smile.

"Starting to?" Came an amused voice from the doorway.

Abby turned around, her hands on her hips. "Gibbs, be nice." She pouted, stepping aside so he could give Ziva a hug.

Laughing, he walked into the room, bestowing a kiss on Abby's forehead before pulling Ziva into an embrace. "You look beautiful Ziver. Congratulations."

Ziva smiled, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you Gibbs." She bit her lip nervously and looked down. "What if he says no?"

"Then I'll head slap him until his ears bleed." Gibbs responded seriously. "He's not going to say no Ziva." He squeezed her arm lovingly and gently tilted her chin up. "I have seen DiNozzo go through many relationships. Hell, I have gone through many relationships, and I know that what you two have is real love."

Ziva beamed in acknowledgement to his words. "Thank you Gibbs."

"Of course Ziver." He smiled, taking her hand and placing it on his arm as the opening strains of the wedding march sounded across the hall. "Ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Ziva nodded her head as they started to the door. "Let us do this."

* * *

So Ziva is almost Mrs. DiNozzo! Please let me know what you think! You know the drill, signed reviews get a sneak peak of the next chapter!


	30. Chapter 30

Hello all! So I am back from vacation. Thank you so so much for all your kind reviews on the last chapter. And once again thanks to my beta Wren who can fix all my errors. So here's the next chater, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 30:

"Do you, Anthony DiNozzo, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do." Tony said solemnly, squeezing the hand of the woman who was almost his wife.

"And do you, Ziva David, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do." Ziva said, returning the squeeze and flashing a smile towards Tony.

The judge joined their hands together and stepped back. "Then by the power invested in me by the District of Colombia, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Tony quickly pulled his new wife into his arms and kissed her passionately as the hall behind them erupted into cheers.

The judge placed a hand on the newlyweds' shoulders as they turned to face their friends and family. "I am honored to be the first to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo."

The deafening cheers drowned out the sounds of the hall doors being thrown open, but nothing, not even Abby's joyful shouting, could hide what happened next.

Two loud gunshots echoed through the hall, causing all of the assembled agents to leap to their feet and draw their weapons.

A disheveled and dirty Ben Gidon stood in the doorway of the reception hall. A satisfied and resolved look was plastered across his face. "It is done." He said solemnly before turning the still smoking gun on himself.

"Gidon drop it!" Gibbs shouted, training his gun on the former Mossad officer. "You don't get to get off this easily!"

Gidon looked towards the alter one last time before disregarding the agent's warning and pulling the trigger, sending a bullet into his brain.

"Boss!" Tony's shout caught Gibbs attention before Gidon had even hit the ground. Stepping over the terrorist's body, he rushed up to the alter as Abby began to scream. Out of the corner of his eye he saw McGee pull Abby into his arms and try to quiet her, but his focus was drawn to the sea of red in front of him.

"Ziva, Ziva stay with me." Tony said, on his knees by the wounded woman's side, pressing his hands to a bloody hole in her chest as Ducky tended to the hole in her stomach.

Ziva gasped for breath as her blood poured out of her body, turning her white gown crimson. She grabbed onto Tony's arm.

Gibbs dropped to his knees beside them. "Call an ambulance!" He ordered, pressing his hands on top of Tony's. "Ziva, keep talking." He looked up from the wounded woman to her groom who had tears running down his cheeks.

Ziva squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to stay calm as pain surged through her body. She licked her lips. "It hurts…" She said quietly, maintaining her grip on Tony's arm. She sighed and opened her eyes, staring sightlessly at her husband.

"Ziva?" Tony questioned, his voice choked with tears. "Please stay with me. I just found you."

"She's not going anywhere DiNozzo." Gibbs said firmly. "You hear me Ziva?"

Ziva sighed again as another lightning bolt of pain surged through her battered body. "Yes Gibbs." She answered. Ziva struggled against the appealing lure of unconsciousness as she heard another voice join in above her.

Abby had broken free of McGee's hold and was staring down at her friend, tears pouring down her face and splashing onto her green dress. "Ziva, don't you dare die on me. You are the tough ninja chick remember? You can get through anything."

Ziva's lips turned up in a slight smile. "I am trying Abs. I promise…I am trying." She whispered. She slid her hand down from Tony's bicep and placed it on top of the pile of hands already on her chest. "Tony?" She whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Yeah Z?" His voice cracked.

"I am so sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize Ziva DiNozzo. You aren't allowed to give up. I need you." Tony tried to control himself but couldn't stop his tears from splashing onto her face.

Ziva felt her energy begin quickly slipping away. "I am so tired…"

"Ziva no!"

"Tony…" She coughed, spraying blood onto Tony's face. "I love you."

Tony stared in horror at Gibbs and then looked back at his dying wife. "Please stay with me Ziva…Please."

Ziva lightly patted his hand before hers slipped to the ground and her eyes slid shut.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in a signed review and I will give you a sneak peak of the next chapter!


	31. Chapter 31

Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. And as usual, thanks to Wren for making this chapter readable. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 31:

"Gibbs, Gibbs! The ambulance is here!" McGee shouted over the talking and sobbing of the stunned crowd.

"Well it's about damn time! Tell them to get in here! She's barely got a pulse!" Gibbs looked over his shoulder to see McGee run to the EMTs as he leaned over his fallen agent. "Come on Ziver, stay with us."

"Come on Z, please just hang on. Just a little longer, please." Tony lightly tapped her cheek, pleading for her to wake up. Ziva's head rolled limply to the side in response.

"Coming through!" The EMT squad shouted as the four men ran through the aisle with medical bags and a gurney up to the blood stained alter.

Tony tried to maintain his spot by his wife's body but was pulled back by Gibbs as the medics surrounded Ziva.

Simultaneously packing her wounds and putting an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, the medics strapped Ziva onto a gurney. Before they raced out of the hall, an EMT climbed onto the gurney and straddled Ziva's body, using an ambu bag to force air into her taxed lungs.

Tony tried to follow but was restrained by Gibbs powerful embrace. "No! No!" Tony shrieked as the ambulance doors slammed shut and it took off down the street with its sirens screaming. "Why didn't you let me go? I should be with her!" He yelled, turning around and pounding his fists into the older man's chest.

Gibbs caught his wrists. "You have to give them space to work Tony." The lead agent watched tears drip from the other man's green eyes as Tony collapsed against his chest sobbing.

Gibbs could feel tears stinging his own ice blue eyes as well as he supported Tony, leading them both towards the car.

* * *

By the time the NCIS team had made it through the DC rush hour traffic to the George Washington Emergency Room, Ziva had already been taken into surgery. The team anxiously paced around the waiting room, hoping for good news about their friend. The only one not pacing was the groom. Tony sat in a hard plastic blue chair in the corner of the waiting room, his head in his hands, lips moving as silent prayers escaped his mouth.

Midnight came and went. In the early hours of the next morning the operating room doors slammed open, and Tony leapt to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest so hard that it was painful. "How is she doctor? Is she gonna be okay?"

The surgeon took off his scrub cap and put it in the pocket of his bloodstained, green scrubs. "We repaired the damage the bullets caused to her internal organs but because she was deprived of oxygen for so long we can only wait and see how well she will recover. " He slowly moved back towards the operating room doors. "She will be in the ICU in a few hours if you would like to see her. Only one visitor at a time please." He took his leave from the group.

Tony's ears rang as the OR doors slammed shut. The next sensation he was aware of was Abby's arms wrapped around him.

"Did you hear that Tony?" Abby asked, her voice filled with hope and excitement. "Ziva's going to be okay!"

Tony shrugged out of her embrace. "No, he didn't say that." Tony felt his cheeks burn with furry. "What he said Abby was that my wife may be a God damn vegetable!" As Tony watched the Goth's eyes well up with tears he realized what he was doing, but he couldn't control himself. Stopping was beyond him. "You know, brain damaged, comatose, hell she could still die Abby!"

Abby looked at him in horror.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled, putting a stop to the younger man's rant. "It's not her fault. Don't you dare take it out on her." He pulled the now sobbing forensic scientist into his arms. "McGee, take him outside and get him calmed down"

"Yes boss." McGee put his hand on Tony's shoulder and began to guide him towards the atrium.

Tony swallowed and didn't resist. He looked apologetically at Abby before letting McGee take him outside.

* * *

Several hours later, a sufficiently calmed down Tony spoke with the doctor outside Ziva's ICU room. During the conversation he stole frequent glances into the room, looking at Abby who was holding the hand of his intubated and unconscious wife.

"So doctor, when will she wake up?" He tore his glance away from the too pale woman in the bed and focused on the white-coated physician.

"It is hard to say. In a few hours we are going to take her for an MRI and a CT scan to see if there is activity in her brain and from there we will decide the best course of action." The pager on his hip buzzed. Grabbing it he read the message. "If you'll excuse me. I will be back in an hour to check on your wife." He turned around and walked away, leaving Tony in the empty hall.

The sound of a throat clearing beside him snapped Tony out of his trance. He turned to find that Abby had left Ziva's bedside and was standing beside him, her hands on her hips.

Tony exhaled and looked her in the eyes. "Abby, I am so sorry, I…"

She put a hand up to stop him. "It's okay Tony. You're scared. Just stay positive okay?" She gave him an affectionate hug before walking towards the waiting room, leaving Tony alone with his new wife.

* * *

Around ten the next morning, Tony rejoined his team in the waiting room. He was met with four expectant faces.

"She's getting an MRI." Tony offered as an explanation before dropping into a chair and lowering his head into his hands, signaling his desire to be left alone.

The following hour passed amid some small talk and a good bit of coffee, but mostly silence until Ziva's doctor approached the group. Tony stood and waited for the doctor to speak.

"We just brought Ziva back to her room. Her functional MRI showed great neural activity and we are hoping to wake her up soon." He heard the excited gasps from the group before him and held up a hand so that he could continue. "Her CT showed several blood clots in her brain, most likely from the shock her body endured yesterday. The reason we need her to wake up is so that we can perform an awake craniotomy. Essentially we need to operate on her brain while she is awake because the clots are near areas of her brain crucial to speech and word recognition…"

"…and her being awake lets you know if you are getting to close to something important." Tony finished.

"Exactly." The doctor nodded.

"So, if this works…she'll be okay?" He looked anxiously at the man in the white lab coat.

"That's the plan."

* * *

So there you have it folks...neurosurgery...not exactly my specialty, I'm really more into orthopedics so I'm gonna need to do a little research for the next chapter. Please leave me a signed review letting me know what you think and I'll send you a sneak peak of the next chapter!


	32. AN

Hey all, so I'm sorry that it seems like I've fallen off the face of the planet. I just finished my junior year of college and boy was it a tough year. But, now it's summer, and I would really like to get back to work on this story. However, part of the reason why I haven't updated (other than a lack of time) is that I have no clue what else to write. I know I have gotten messages from several of you encourging me to finish the story and I would like nothing more than to do that. Please give me ideas, where would you like to see the story go, what plot twists should occur, etc. Thank you so much,

-Emily


	33. Chapter 32

Hi all, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. I apologize for the delay in uploading this one. Junior year was a hectic year. Oy. Hopefully senior year won't be as bad cause I've already done all my post college applications. Whoohoo! Thanks to EJ and Caitlin for pre-reading this chapter to check for clarity. As always, enjoy!

* * *

Tony sat in silence watching Ziva's face expectantly as the doctor prepared to decrease her sedation. Seconds later, his heart leapt as her eyes shot open and she gasped against the tube down her throat.

"Z! Ziva!" He leapt to his feet and stood over her even though she wouldn't be able to see his face. "I'm right here baby." He grasped her hand and was elated as she squeezed it weakly. Tony quickly looked towards the doctor, "can you remove the tube?"

The doctor nodded and grasped the tube. "Okay Ziva, I need you to try to cough when I tell you to. Then we can get this tube out." He saw the woman on the bed nod slightly and tighten her grip on her husband's hand. "Okay, you may feel some discomfort in your chest but cough."

Ziva did as instructed and the doctor removed the tube in one deft movement. She coughed violently as the tube left her throat, hand flying to the newly repaired hole in her chest as she felt like it was being set on fire.

Tony squeezed her free hand tightly, feeling helpless as she tried to catch her breath. "It's okay Z." He bent over and placed a kiss on her forehead, smoothing back her curly hair. "Just breathe. I've got you." He kept a close watch on her face, relaxing as her breathing settled into a normal rhythm.

"Wh-what happened?" The injured woman croaked, her voice hoarse from the tube that had irritated her windpipe.

The doctor looked at Tony who nodded. "Ziva, I am Dr. Callough, you were shot yesterday and suffered damage to your diaphragm and lung. I repaired the damage from the bullet but several clots have been thrown to your brain. My partner, Dr. Johnson is a neurosurgeon. He needs to perform an operation to remove those clots. However you need to be awake for it."

Ziva swallowed, once again feeling the tightness in her chest, "I have to be awake for surgery?"

"Yes but don't worry, an awake craniotomy is a standard procedure and any place we make an incision will be numb. Your brain has no pain sensors and thus anything Dr. Johnson touches will not hurt."

"I do not understand…" Ziva mumbled, confused by the doctor's explanation. She heard a third person enter the room.

"Perhaps I can help her understand. Dr. Donald Mallard." Ducky offered his hand to his fellow doctor.

Dr. Callough grasped it firmly. "Thank you doctor, I will remain in case you need me." He stepped back and allowed Ducky to take his spot at the side of Ziva's bed.

"Hello my dear." The Scot said gently. He reached out and took Ziva's free hand, the one that was not tightly grasping her husband's.

"Ducky." Ziva breathed in acknowledgement, finding his presence calming. "Why are they cutting into my head?"

"So Ziva, during your procedure yesterday some blood clots formed around the repaired sites. This is normal and nothing for you to worry about. What is abnormal is that some of the clots broke free and are in your bloodstream. Now the good doctor here has been giving you shots of blood thinners that will likely reduce the clots however for safety's sake, they want to remove a rather ominous one that is resting in your brain. Now, like I said, you have little reason to worry my dear. The blood thinners will likely take care of it, but the doctors just want to make sure. Do you understand?"

Ziva nodded slightly. "Yes Ducky, I understand. Tony?"

"Yes sweetheart?" He gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Do you understand?"

Tony chuckled. "Always making sure I'm up to speed. That's my Ziva." He lowered his head to her hand and kissed it. "Yeah baby, I understand. I just have one question Ducky."

"Yes Anthony?"

"Why does she have to be awake while they explore her brain?"

Ducky nodded, expecting his question. "As the doctor mentioned when we were in the hall, the clot is near some of her language processing centers." He paused as Tony recalled the earlier conversation. When the younger man nodded, he continued, "Now this center does not have a definite place in a brain. In fact there is variation, however slight, in the location of centers such as the language, emotion, and memory, in the brains of every human. Because the location is not outlined in her brain as clearly as say…the heart in the chest, she must be awake and talking so that the surgeon knows where he is in the brain."

Tony nodded in understanding, his eyes fixated on Ziva's face. He was astounded at how peaceful she looked despite the damage to her body beneath the thin hospital gown. "Z, are you alright with this?" He asked softly.

"Of course Tony." She answered confidently. I am going to be okay. But…before surgery, can I just talk to my family…Gibbs, Abby, McGee?"

Dr. Callough nodded from the doorway. "That will be fine Ziva. I will be back in an hour to help Dr. Johnson prepare you for surgery." The trauma surgeon turned on his heel and left the room.

Tony grinned down at his wife. "Your family. I like that."

She smiled softly back at him. "I need them to wish me luck."

Chuckling, he bent over and kissed her forehead again. "Since when did you believe in luck Mrs. DiNozzo?"

"Since I met you."

* * *

Once a window on the back of her skull had been cleanly opened, Dr. Johnson signaled for the anesthesiologist to bring Ziva back to consciousness. He waited until her eyes fluttered open. "Mrs. DiNozzo?"

A small smile appeared on her face. "I am still getting used to that name."

The doctor smiled too as he began to navigate gingerly through the brain tissue. "Newly wed?"

"Yesterday." She mumbled softly as she felt the weird, but not painful sensation on her head. She was aware of someone supporting her head so that she couldn't move as the doctor worked behind her.

"Yesterday?" He questioned, aware that she had been shot the day before.

Ziva could sense the confusion in his voice. "I was shot at my wedding. Kind of dampened my day."

Dr. Johnson stopped his search for a moment so that he could investigate her misordered words and confirm that he wasn't doing damage to her language center. "Do you mean put a damper on you day Ziva?"

Even in her drugged and fatigued state, the corner of her mouth turned up in amusement. "I am Israeli, your weird American sayings confuse me sometimes and I do not say them correctly. Yes, I mean it put a damper on my day as you say."

He breathed a sigh of relief at her articulate answer. "You're doing well Ziva. Very well." Moving aside another fold of tissue he found the clot resting against her optic chiasm. With the nimble skill of a neurosurgeon he suctioned out the area. No sooner than he removed the clot, blood began to well out of the chiasm and the patient beneath his hands gasped as her world changed.

* * *

Hmmm what does that mean? You'll find out shortly. I have a flight later tonight in which I am determined to write the next chapter. So, leave a signed review, letting me know what you think and what you want to see happen next and I'll send you a sneak peak as soon as it's written. Thanks for reading!


	34. Chapter 33

Hi everyone, thank you for your reviews on the last chapter. You all are great! So, since I kept you waiting for a year, I figured I should post these next few chapters pretty regularly. Therefore, here you go...Chapter 33!

As usual, these characters are not mine, I'm just borrowing them.

Thanks to EJ for proof-reading.

* * *

As blood began to pour out of his patient's optic chiasm, Dr. Johnson started suction, trying to find the source of the blood. But, as soon as the bleeding started, it stopped leaving the affected area pristine. He bent over to check on his patient. "Ziva?"

"What did you do?" Her voice was hardly a whisper.

"When I cleared the clot, blood came out of the area where your optic nerves cross. There must have been a clot there at one point that was reduced by the blood thinners you got earlier. How are you feeling?" He leaned closer, noticing her eyes were squeezed shut. "Mrs. DiNozzo?"

She slowly opened her eyes before squeezing them shut again. She did this several more times before opening her eyes and squinting at the doctor. "I can see." She opened her eyes wider as they adjusted to the light. Blurred faces and objects surrounded her as she witnessed her first color other than black in more than a year. Slowly she raised her hand, turning it front of her face she let out an elated chuckle when she saw the now chipped green nail polish Abby had painted on her fingers prior to the wedding. Dropping her hand she looked back at the doctor, whose facial expression she couldn't quite make out.

Dr. Johnson looked on at her in astonishment. Quickly taking out his penlight he bent in front of her. First he checked the dilation of her pupils before moving the light to the side. "Ziva, follow my light with your eyes." He moved it slowly side to side and saw her deep brown irises follow. Repeating the same procedure he then tested each eye individually before clicking off his penlight and straightening up. Smiling at her, he nodded. "You can see."

* * *

The rest of the procedure went smoothly and as soon as the dura was laid back over Ziva's brain, she was sedated so that her skull and scalp could be closed before she was taken back to the recovery room.

Several hours later Ziva started to stir as her sedation wore off. Seeing her small movements, Tony leapt to his feet, still grasping her hand. "Ziva. Hey Z, you're back." He grinned. He bent over and placed a gentle kiss on the white bandage that encircled her head and contrasted strongly with her olive skin. "How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy." She mumbled, still trying to grasp the dream she'd had in the operating room. When she slowly opened her eyes, she was quickly reminded that her experience hadn't been a dream. "Tony?" She asked quietly, fixing her eyes up on her husband. He was just like she'd remembered: short dark hair, tan skin, and the five o'clock shadow that she'd come to appreciate in the past year. Though everything else was blurry she seemed to be able to see him perfectly. How much was memory and how much was due to her newly regained sense of sight, she couldn't be sure, but there her husband stood and she could see him for the first time in a year.

He quickly locked eyes with her and she gasped loudly as emerald met chocolate.

Misinterpreting her gasp as a cry of pain, Tony broke eye contact, quickly searching for the call button. "What's wrong?" He queried as she grasped his wrist, stopping him. "Are you in pain?"

A small smile graced her lips as she shook her head slightly. "No pain. Tony?"

"Yeah baby?" He locked eyes with her again and she shuddered as the warm sensation once again spread through her body.

"I see you."

"You what?" He asked, immediately confused by her answer.

She waved her hand in front of her eyes as she used to when she was explaining her disability to someone who didn't know. "I can see you. I can see."

Tony felt his heart leap into his throat and it felt as if it was hammering against his Adam's apple. "You can see me?"

Ziva nodded and smiled widely. "I can see everything. I do not know what happened, but the doctor suctioned something out of my brain and then the light just hit me. It was amazing. But not nearly as amazing as this sight right now. You are so handsome Tony." She squeezed his hand tightly. "You stood by me when I was quite literally in the darkest despair of my life. I can never thank you enough."

Tony felt the smile spread across his face and he bent over so that he was eye to eye with his wife. "Ziva you thanked me by marrying me. And I will always stand by you. No matter what the circumstance. I am so happy for you Ziva. You deserve this miracle, and it really is a miracle." He leaned closer until his lips were pressed against hers.

Fighting the instinct to close her eyes while kissing, Ziva kept her eyes open, using them to explore his face as her tongue explored his mouth. When air became a necessity, unfortunately quicker than normal due to her damaged lung, they broke apart, eyes locked until Ziva started to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Tony's deep chuckle joined her girlish laugh in perfect harmony.

"You look so serious when you are kissing me. I could not see when we had our first kiss so I never noticed."

The grin remained plastered to the Italian's face. "Well, kissing you is a business that I take very seriously."

* * *

"Ziva!" Abby squealed as she ran into the room. Tony had just informed the rest of the agents that Ziva had regained consciousness following her brain surgery.

"Abby!" Ziva mimicked her high pitch before breaking off into another chuckle. She stared at the forensic scientist, taking in her dark hair, pale skin, and numerous tattoos.

The Goth noticed her stare and looked herself over. "What?" She chuckled, "Do I have something on my face? Oh, sorry, you can't answer that." She wiped her face reflexively before remembering why she ran into the room. "How are you feeling!"

Ziva felt another grin spread across her face, it seemed that seeing was correlated with smiling. "You do not have anything on your face Abby. You can stop wiping your cheeks now."

Abby paused what she was doing and stared at Ziva incredulously. "You heard that?"

"Nope." Ziva just continued to grin at her friend, waiting for her to understand.

The maid of honor stood confused for approximately one second before she started jumping up and down on her platform boots. "Oh!" She shrieked. "You can see!" She rushed at Ziva and stopped just short of tackling her before bending over and giving her a gentle hug. "You can see." She repeated herself, locking eyes with the woman in the bed.

Ziva nodded once in confirmation as Gibbs walked in the room. Before she had a chance to say anything Abby leapt from Ziva's bedside to Gibbs' side in one swift motion.

"Gibbs!"

"Hello Abby." The silver haired man placed a kiss on her cheek before turning to Ziva. "How do you feel Ziver?" He asked affectionately, squeezing her hand.

"I feel well Gibbs." Ziva saw Abby bouncing out of the corner of her eye and started to chuckle again. "Okay Abby, you can tell him."

"Tell me wh…" He was cut off before he could finish the sentence.

"Gibbs! Ziva can see again!"

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Well, I hope that wasn't too predictable. I plan on posting the epilogue very soon so I will not be sending out sneak peaks for reviews, but regardless, please let me know what you think. I love your feedback and it helps me grow as a writer (even if my main writing platform is scientific literature :-D)


	35. Epilogue

Well here it is guys, the end. Thank you so much for your reviews and your support this past year. It's been a wonderful ride!

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**Epilogue**

_One year later_

"Ziva slow down!" Tony gripped the door handle of her red mini cooper as they flew through the streets of Georgetown. He turned in his seat to face his wife of one year, who beneath the frame of her black square glasses, sported the biggest grin he had ever seen.

She laughed, "Tony this is my first time driving in more than two years. I feel so free!"

He chuckled at her child-like joy. "Okay Ziva. But if you go too fast you won't be very free behind bars for reckless driving." He chuckled again as her smile morphed into a childish pout and she slowed to the speed limit.

She stuck her tongue out at him before taking the exit to the NCIS building and parking in the garage.

It had been exactly one year since Ben Gidon had shot Ziva at her own wedding and as she looked at the walls of the NCIS bullpen she reflected on where the last year had taken her.

Her vision wasn't exactly perfect, but with glasses she could see almost as well as she did prior to being blinded. And 20/20 vision or not, she was just happy to see. Work had returned to normal in the last year and even more exciting to the Israeli, was the fact that she could once again carry a gun.

After taking one last look around the bullpen, she slid into her seat and powered up her computer, getting ready for the day ahead. As the smell of coffee filled the air, she looked up to see her husband standing in front of her.

Grinning he placed a cup of her favorite brew on her desk before leaning over and quickly writing something in sharpie on the white lid. When he pulled back, she could see what he had scribbled.

Chuckling, she read his sloppy note. 'Happy Anniversary!' She smiled, running her fingers over the words before looking back up at him. "Happy Anniversary Tony. I love you."

"I love you too Ziva." He stole one quick kiss before returning to his desk.

As she watched him walk away, she thought about what she had learned in the two years since the day of the bombing and her sight had been taken. It wasn't what you saw that was important, but rather what you felt from family and friends that made all the difference. One doesn't need to see with their eyes to believe in good. Simply they must feel in their hearts what is right.

_The End_

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Well folks, there it is. The end of Seeing Isn't Believing. I hope you've had as much fun reading it as I have had writing it. Please let me know what you think and also since I currently only have one active story, I'm open to suggestions for a new story. What would you like to see happen with our favorite couple!

You guys have been great!

As always, thanks for reading.


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